Shelter
by BlackBird6295
Summary: One year has passed since the end of the war between The Dollars and The Yellow Scarves, and the city of Ikebukuro is enjoying a time of peace. But when unforeseen and dangerous events begin to unfold, old friends return as a countdown begins. The city taught them all one thing - sometimes, lines are meant to be crossed. The end is near, and the clock is ticking.
1. A Thought to Be Afraid Of

**1\. A Thought to Be Afraid Of**

* * *

The faint, slow, and irregular tapping of a pen lightly impacted a short wooden table which stood in front of a sitting boy - a boy whose other hand lazily kept his head steady by the palm as his elbow planted itself firm on the table. The wooden surface was populated with two short stacks of assorted papers, a notebook, and two plates of sushi at each end of the table which were…unorthodox to say the very least.

The sun had set over the bustling horizon of Ikebukuro, the edge of which twinkled with city lights as far as the eye could see. Twilight had begun to set in shortly after, its beautiful shade of bluish-purple haze gracing the skies and dimming the buildings below until the lights behind all the windows began to slowly shine through the glass. Their gentle glow gradually illuminated the infant nightfall as the sun drifted further and further away from the land. To the boy's subtle dismay, the majesty of these few moments never lasted very long; Even if it could only be enjoyed for a few short minutes, it remained his favorite time of day.

Mikado Ryuugamine was a boy of recently acquired simple taste. His renewed sense of adventure at the hands of his arrival in Tokyo seamlessly fused itself into his daily life over time until its constant feeling of excitement almost became the norm, and its original rebellious charm all but faded away. A year has passed since the Yellow Scarves were disbanded, leaving the city in a state of peaceful complacency and subsequently returning Mikado to the happy, calm (and in his case, productive) life of a typical high schooler. He and his close friend Anri Sonohara lived this life every day as class representatives, working to guarantee their peers a voice to be heard outside of the classroom. The boy was content with the role he played in his community; He lived every day to the fullest, helping to push Ikebukuro's youth forward into a bright future.

There he sat on this beautiful evening, admiring the scene from just behind a window inside Russia Sushi, a friendly café where all were welcome to try a bold, new take on traditional Japanese cuisine. Well, 'bold' as in weird, and 'new' as in generally unheard of and…imaginative. The boy expected Anri to walk in at any moment now to enjoy the meal he ordered for the two of them and to work on some class rep business they had both planned to do that night. Namely, the students of their class all submitted a short paragraph depicting their opinion of the school proposing to tear down and move a tribute garden in order to build a new swimming pool for the team. Those submissions were what made up the two short stacks of papers on the table in front of Mikado, and he and Anri's job was to go through them and fabricate a general class consensus on the subject to use as a statement deliverable to the school board.

Mikado reached for his cup of hot blueberry tea, bringing it up to his face with both hands before blowing on it and taking a sip. As his vision became blocked by the inner wall of the tea mug, he heard the little bell attached to the front door of the sushi café ring, quickly filling the nearly-unpopulated back dining room with a short yet resonating 'ding' sound. He looked up from his sip in response to the noise, and his eyes met those of none other than his dear friend Anri, who made her way to the table with a shy smile and sat down across from the raven-haired boy.

"Hey, Anri!" Mikado greeted cheerfully with a genuine smile, his head following Anri's as she sat down, getting on the boy's level. "I ordered your favorite for you."

"Wh-thanks so much Mikado, you didn't have to do that…" Anri replied with a small blush as she unpacked her things to begin working.

"It's really no problem at all! You got it for me last time anyways." the boy replied, flicking his hand behind him and smiling to indicate the simplicity of the favor.

Mikado took another sip of his tea before looking back down to his work, intent on getting it all done in one sitting so that they both could have a free day the next day. At the wake of a few silent moments however, it became evident that Anri did not seem nearly as determined today. The boy put his pen down and looked up at her, feeling as though he had sensed her mood even right as she walked through the door just a few moments ago. To Mikado, her continued irregular silence confirmed his hypothesis; At the surface, Anri's motivation to get this stuff done was, at the surface, pretty much nonexistent.

"Is something the matter, Anri?" he asked, concernedly. "You haven't touched your food and barely picked up your pen…"

"N-No, Mikado," she said, bringing her head up to face him, "Nothing's wrong, it's just…"

Anri paused, taking some time to look into the boy's eyes and to choose her next words carefully. She involuntarily let a short sigh escape her lungs. "Do you ever get tired of this stuff?"

Mikado let out somewhat of a surprised grunt, clearly unexpectant of the forwardness in the question he was asked.

"U-um…what do you mean?" he asked as he quizzically tilted his head to the side.

Anri looked at him for a moment longer, "I just mean…is this what you really want to do every day, Mikado? I feel like the monotony is never-ending."

The boy looked upon her, patiently and intently listening as she shrugged before continuing her thought.

"A year ago, when you first got here, everything was so…different. And in a good way, I think. Don't you agree? The lives we led back then were so exciting…but now I feel like that's all disappeared, and it just makes me a little sad is all."

Mikado absorbed her words while letting his pensive eyes fall from Anri down to his distorted reflection in the placid blueberry tea which was left in the ceramic mug he had. There was a moment of silence before he looked back up at her.

"Well hey, I know that the textbook definition of exciting isn't doing paperwork for school, but neither is being at the forefront of a gang war, Anri. You know?" he replied.

"Yeah, I know that," she replied, "but even so…as weird as this may sound, I do miss it a little bit. We all grew really close during that whole thing."

Mikado felt his discouraged eyelids partially fall over his gaze at her response. It was at this moment he was reminded that he used to feel the same longing sometimes, he really did. He couldn't lie that in the beginning weeks which followed the end of the war between the Dollars and the Yellow Scarves, there in fact _were_ mornings where he would wake up and absolutely detest the boring day he was probably about to face…

But that was back then.

"We _did_ all grow close, Anri. But that time is over now. Right now, I think we should just focus on making Ikebukuro a better place by doing the things we're already doing, even if it _is_ in a small way. That's the idea that's kept me going ever since the war ended-if there isn't a boulder to move, sweep the dust that was below it" the boy finished as he looked back up to find that Anri never broke eye contact with him. She looked into his eyes as she absently and subtly began to shake her head.

"Hm," she disappointedly grunted, "The Mikado I know would've hunted down the next boulder" she said.

Mikado blinked at that, letting out a breath as he felt the sensation of a small fire burning inside of himself for the first time in a very long while.

Anri hushed for a moment as she leaned in to whisper to the boy.

"Also…have you been enjoying your time away from the chat room, Mikado?" she asked, which set the boy defenselessly agape. "You haven't checked in on the Dollars' in months...don't you miss everyone?" Anri implored, "At all?"

On his quickly tiring face, Mikado gradually grew a mixed look of guilt and sadness with a subtle hint of despair as his lips parted ever so slightly. He wanted to respond to that, he really did…but he just couldn't find the right words to do so in that moment.

Anri kept her gaze fixed on him as she quietly exhaled through pursed lips, leaning back to her original position in at the other end of the table before taking her eyes off the boy to think for a moment. She scrolled her eyes back up to look at Mikado after a short while, who had let his own head tilt downward in deep thought. Seeing him like this made Anri feel kind of awful, that this was what the topic of their conversation was doing to her friend.

"Ok Mikado, let's just forget the Dollars for a second," Anri said, looking back at Mikado, who hadn't moved a muscle in his trance, "Have you ever given thought to the idea that someone could be trying to reach _you_ , specifically, through the chat?"

Mikado blinked, and his eyes twitched a little bit before growing slightly wider for a split second and then returning to normal shortly afterward. He took a short breath before raising his head to look back at Anri's concerned face.

"That's…" the boy whispered near-distraughtly as he quickly found himself unable to hold eye contact with his friend, "That's something that I'm honestly scared to think about, Anri."

The girl took a moment to observe and evaluate Mikado's reaction, and as it sank in, the reason for his apparent anguish became ever clearer to her with each passing second. She reached out across the table and caringly took his hand into her's. Feeling her touch, Mikado visibly calmed down a bit as he exhaled. Finally looking up at her, and she softly to him, Anri spoke her next words just as tenderly.

"He's still out there, Mikado. And he's still your friend."

* * *

In the dark of the night, all that could be heard was the roar of Shooter's ferocious engine as Celty ripped down the highway headed southeast on Ikebukuro's Metropolitan Expressway. Weaving through cars with scalpel-like precision, she speedily traversed the long stretch of road paying little mind to the lights of the other travelers' vehicles which flew past her with each passing second. Purpose pulsed through her veins with haste as she raced toward the exit which would lead to her's and Shinra's residence. She finally reached the bustling city streets after heading down the exit ramp, checking all directions for police as she continued onward. As a person of high interest to them, Celty never wanted to give them the opportunity to follow her home, for Shinra's sake. Being stalked or even potentially evicted by Ikebukuro's finest is the last thing they would need.

First visual impressions of her surroundings indicated no police, but a lot of citizens on a few separate corners and sidewalks, all of whom couldn't act fast enough to whip out their phone cameras to catch a glimpse of the Black Rider. Celty sped past them all, reaching her target destination after a few blocks going west.

She pulled into her usual parking place and headed up the steel elevator to her home, getting off and reaching for her keys once she reached the appropriate floor. She walked across the wooden floorboards to the front door which had a single light in the upper left-hand corner of its frame. She grasped the doorknob and jiggled the keys into it before turning them and letting herself in, feeling the cool blast of the air conditioning hit her instantly as she continued inside. It was the beginning of the summer, and the city was starting to feel the heat of the season which came upon them with next to no warning whatsoever.

Walking inside, the Black Rider removed her helmet, hearing the front door click shut behind her. She placed the yellow headpiece on the kitchen counter which appeared on her right as she proceeded deeper into the apartment. She looked over into the living room, spotting Shinra out on the balcony behind the closed sliding glass doors. Celty took her phone out as she made her way across the room toward those doors, and Shinra turned around casually from staring out at the city when he heard them open, watching Celty walk out onto the balcony with him. He spared no hesitation in smiling at her at first, then as she closed the door behind her, the living room behind them went quiet and Shinra's initial grin gradually dropped for a moment when a serious Celty brought her phone up to his face for him to read the contents of the screen.

The lifeless room on the other side of the glass barrier was silent; The small space was still all except for the television in the background which played the news through the tin-like sound of the speakers:

 _We're now getting confirmed reports that a 21-year-old man by the name of Horada, best known by his past affiliation with the "Yellow Scarves" street gang, has vanished from his cell in Ikebukuro's old Sugamo Prison, located under the Sunshine 60 building. Horada was arrested last year on multiple counts of assault, along with the attempted murder of Shizuo Heiwajima. As such, Horada is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous at this time. We will keep you updated with further information as we receive it, and if you spot this fugitive, you are strongly encouraged to immediately contact the Ikebukuro Police Department with any information you may gather._

 _I'm Ayumi Akaogi, Tokyo Broadcasting System._

* * *

The children playing with their friends at Ikebukuro Park could be heard whining in the distance as the beginning of the night set in, and their parents told them it was time to go home. Their faint sounds caught the attention of the raven-haired boy, whose footsteps began to gradually slow to a complete halt. There he stood, listening to them for a moment with his hands buried in his pockets and his eyes listless with the fatigue of confusion and doubt. He blinked as he let the smallest of a smile make its way onto his face at the sight; For a moment, he could swear that he saw his child-self over there too, playing with his friends in the fields like he used to, long ago. Or… _friend,_ rather.

Mikado felt his smile fade away almost instantly when a pair of people who seemed to be co-workers clad in suits and carrying briefcases walked past him a few yards to his right, catching the boy's attention as he heard them talking about stock prices and other adult-level business concepts that the boy hated to realize he understood completely. After they passed, he looked back over to the patch of grass the children had been playing on, seeing nothing left but a few lingering parents walking away with their offspring. Finally breaking from his trance at the sight, he resumed walking the path to his destination once again.

He honestly couldn't fathom whether he was happy that he heard what Anri had to say back at Russia Sushi, or if a part of him almost daringly hated her for it. He had been walking home for nearly 15 minutes and was already starting to reluctantly realize that she was right. About every bit of it.

Maybe the only thing Mikado really hated was his own inability to see the truth for himself.

He left the countryside with the hopes of leaving his old self behind and starting a new life, in a new city, where almost nobody knew his name. To go wherever the wind took him was the spirit of freedom which brought him to Ikebukuro…and now, that had all but faded away and it pierced his heart deeper every time he thought about it.

And the worst part? It only took a year.

Finally approaching his door, the boy brought his hand out of his right pocket, holding the blue key to the doorknob. The darkness on the other side of the wall suddenly lit up through the crack of the door thanks to the streetlight outside which aimed almost directly at his building. Lazily strolling inside the relatively blank room, Mikado dropped his bookbag next to the door and slid it over to the corner of the room with his foot before taking his shoes off and proceeding inside, phone in hand.

To his surprise, before even bringing it up to his face to look at it, he felt the phone lightly vibrate in a couple of quick pulses. Intrigued, he looked at the notification on the lock screen, finding that it was from Anri. He regretted the uncontrollable pang of what he could only pinpoint as a feeling of mild disappointment which shot through his mind when he saw it was from her. Sliding the notification bubble to the right, his phone unlocked into the texting application to see:

[Think on it, Mikado. It's worth a try.]

He looked at the text for a moment longer, the soft glow of the device illuminating his face. After closing his eyes, he grunted despondently, lowering his phone and looking over to the mattress which sat at the side of the small room, then to the computer which was powered off and set up right next to it. With a dour look on his face, the boy clicked his phone screen off from his side, and carelessly tossed it onto the mattress, watching it land face-down on the plush surface before retreating to the bathroom where he would wash the day from his weary face.

Just like every other night.


	2. The Phoenix

**2\. The Phoenix**

* * *

A hand leisurely reached up from pearl white sheets to meet the soft, immaculate skin of the beautiful charcoal-haired girl. In the wake of its gentle contact, her sterling silver eyes revealed themselves to the world and ignited a smile on the rebellious, dirty blonde-haired boy's face. His canines peeked out from under his upper lip as he stared back at her through his amber irises, calmly using the thumb of the hand which cupped her face to stroke her cheek. She was the only one who could make him smile the way he did in this moment. The only one who could make all his regret go away with just a simple glance. He looked to her face often, as if the grace which emanated from her pores connected him to the rest of his tired soul like life support. That's what drew him to her side from the very first day they met: it seemed she was the only one who could become his other half when his spirit traveled alone.

Moments like these grew to become his only reality…but in the real world, Masaomi Kida was a coward. And to him, that was the legacy he would leave behind.

Together they existed in harmony among the sea of white pillows and sheets inside the small oceanic apartment that they called home for the past year. There wasn't much to the place where they laid. Their abode consisted of a single bedroom and a small bathroom along with a balcony which was positioned just past white French doors, overlooking the Pacific below. All things considered—with the exception of the scenic view and the ocean breeze, what they had wasn't much, but it was theirs.

Saki looked to him wordlessly with a tender smile in response to the gentle touch which continued to journey across her cheek. They shared a perfect silence completed by the sounds of the sea and of the birds, and the caressing of the light breeze which made the silky white drapes dance as it glided through the open windows. The sun had set only moments ago, and just past the walls which kept them safe, nature had given them a beautiful twilight. Stars began to emerge over the horizon in striking numbers as the cloudless sky turned vivid with a light purply-orange color.

"You know, Saki," the blonde warmly began, "every time you open your eyes, I feel like I just saw the sun for the first time."

She placed her hands on either side of the boy's face at this, running her thumbs through the hair above his ears as her smile pursed and her eyes trembled with intense happiness.

They stayed in this moment for what seemed to be an eternity, watching the colors of their faces deepen from the glow of the sunset's remnants before lovingly connecting their lips, their bodies bathed in twilight. There they lived, spirits sparking together in unison as they embraced with every ounce of their hearts.

They broke apart gently at the sudden yet light ringing of Masaomi's phone on the black nightstand which stood to the left of the bed they were enveloped in. They both softly turned their heads toward the source of the sound before looking back to each other as it continued to ring. Saki's face contorted to one of nervous curiosity as she looked to Masaomi, whose unworried expression diffused her concern in a matter of seconds.

"Hey," he comforted, playing with a lock of her charcoal hair between two fingers, "it's probably nothing."

Offering a reassuring smile, he reached over and picked up the device with the tips of his fingers, tilting it toward him so that he could see the words on the screen. The caller ID above the green answer icon read, 'Kyohei Kadota'. His relaxed smile slowly settled, falling gradually as Masaomi became about as curious as Saki was.

"I should probably take this," he said, looking to her after the brief pause. She smiled trustingly yet hesitantly in return before the blonde boy made to leave the bed, feeling the softness of the carpet between his toes as he reached for the thin, white button-down shirt on the bedpost, throwing it around his torso carelessly without bothering to button it. Saki looked upon him with an expression of unsung concern as the boy walked outside onto the balcony to answer the call. To her, the only sound now was that of the ringtone which faded away with each step her boyfriend took.

"Kyohei?" the blonde answered, finding a spot on the balcony's short, stone wall to lean on as the breeze sifted through his hair.

"Hey, Kida. How's your getaway with Saki been?" the Dollar greeted, to which Masaomi raised an eyebrow.

"It's been good, man. Thanks for asking," he replied.

"So hey, I'll keep it short and sweet since you probably wanna get back to the lady asap," Kadota started as Masaomi nodded to himself with a sarcastic, pressed smile.

"I'm all ears," he said, staring out at the ocean which grew darker as twilight began succumbing to the night.

As he held the phone to his ear, Kadota maneuvered his elbow through the crowds as he walked the nighttime streets of Ikebukuro which were bustling with people heading home from dinner, work, or some other activity.

"Listen, I just got out of a friend's office, and it looks like I have an opportunity I thought you'd wanna hear about," he said, casually weaving through some more people.

"Who's your friend?" Masaomi asked, continuing to gaze out into the night sky.

"He runs Ikebukuro Garden," Kyohei replied, prompting a short breath to escape Masaomi's lungs as he swiveled his head to look back inside at Saki for a moment, seeing that she was absently buried in her phone.

"And…what kinda opportunity are we talking?" The blonde asked, turning back around toward the ocean and speaking a little more quietly as he resumed leaning against the balcony wall.

"What are your thoughts on picking up a performance gig there? The man's in desperate need of a DJ and I mentioned your name since you used to do that back before you left Raira."

Ikebukuro was always a busy district in the way of entertainment, and it just so happened that Ikebukuro Garden was at the center of it all, especially as far as its reputation went. Well, all except for a rumor that came out of there roughly six years ago when a few kids were busted for dealing ecstasy in one of the bathrooms. Everyone probably did that, he thought, but those guys in particular the blonde had chalked down as just the unlucky rookies who were dumb enough to get caught. Regardless, the venue continued to be a top-tier, luxurious and spacious nightclub complete with a large stage, pyrotechnics, lasers, smoke—the works.

A moment passed while the blonde mulled it over. He looked back at Saki one more time if only to restrain the temptation of jumping onto the idea without thought. She looked up from her phone to him, and they locked eyes. Saki's reaction to his expression appeared to be oddly tense, and Masaomi had no idea why that was until he came to the realization of what his own facial expression must've looked like right then. He awoke from his daze after noticing this, flashing a thumbs-up at her to signal that everything was ok. She smiled back at him once again in that same trusting yet hesitant way that she did whenever she felt kept in the dark on something. Masaomi's smile faded away after turning around again.

"I don't know, Kyohei. I haven't seen anybody from Ikebukuro in a while…I'm not sure if I'm ready to go back. Besides, I have Saki to look after right now," he finally replied.

The blonde was greatly torn, as he never could've expected to be faced with a huge decision like this within two minutes of being on a phone call. Regardless of the offer however, one critical thought always kept the boy from giving it any consideration: returning to the city which he abandoned, reuniting with the ones that he hoped to god were still his friends after leaving them without a word—the whole idea seemed way too emotionally far-fetched to be within his reach.

He wouldn't dare re-insert himself back into their lives after leaving them like that. Even the rebellious ladies' man had _some_ morals…that was just who he was.

"Well I'll be honest, that's not what I was hoping to hear from you, Kida. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. But hey, just in case you have any second thoughts…the job does have its perks," Kadota replied, attempting to get the blonde to reconsider. It worked, as Masaomi managed to push past his reluctance to continue the discussion.

"I'm listening," Kida replied.

"The pay's good, 55,000 Yen per show, 2 shows per week. And you'd also get an apartment a few floors above the venue, compliments of the house."

Masaomi's eyes widened and the hand which held his phone shook a little bit. That was a _ton_ of money… _plus_ a place to stay full-time, for free. To him, this was quickly becoming like something out of a dream…but the other part of him, perhaps the _bigger_ part, quickly halted his consideration of the idea to go back to the city. He froze.

"I-I'll talk it over with Saki," he finally replied after getting his thoughts together, partially feeling as if he didn't even hear himself speak the words.

"Great!" Kadota exclaimed as he unlocked the door to his apartment in northern Ikebukuro, "Just do me a favor and let me know within the next day or two if you're on board? I'd hate to see the job float over to someone else if you decide yes too late."

"Yeah, will do. Thanks, Kyohei. It was good to hear from ya."

"The feeling's mutual, my man," Kadota finished.

Masaomi lowered the phone to his side, inattentively hitting the end call button as he continued to stare out into the starry sky. His once tranquil mind suddenly experienced a storm of emotions, many of which he tried to escape when he originally departed the city with Saki. Those were the feelings of regret that kept him from going back.

But then again, those were likewise the feelings of longing that made him unable to resist.

Masaomi closed his eyes and took a deep breath before slipping his phone into the pocket of the plaid pajama pants he was wearing and turning to head back inside. He crossed under the doorway back into the apartment, and wordlessly reached out sideways with both arms to grasp the open French doors and bring them together until they shut.

From the bed, Saki looked up from her phone and to Masaomi, who locked his golden eyes with hers before looking down, exhaling and sliding his hands into his pockets. After a short and somewhat tense period of time, Saki placed her phone onto the night stand, deciding that whatever this silence was, it clearly demanded her undivided attention.

"So, who was it?" she asked tentatively, innocently lending Masaomi her ear.

"It was-uh…" the boy hesitated, hating himself for falling into his old habit of instinctively wanting to keep everything a secret. After a couple seconds of nothing coming out of his still-open mouth, he smiled, "It was Kyohei."

"Oh?" Saki urged, intrigued by the name she hadn't heard in a long time, "Is he doing well?"

"Yeah, he's fine," he nodded, "Wondering how our vacation was going."

"Well that's kind of him," Saki winked. Masaomi couldn't help but smile at this, and laugh a little bit too. He closed the distance between he and the girl as he walked over and sat on the bed where she lay.

"So what's the part that you're _not_ telling me?" she asked as if reading his mind—or his expression and hesitation, at least. The blonde turned his head to look at her when she wrapped her arms around his collar from behind.

"He said that I have an opportunity to DJ at Ikebukuro Garden. All I gotta do is reach out and take it," he said, feeling the air of Saki's short gasp graze the back of his neck.

"Ikebukuro...?" she tentatively whispered to her lover, to which he nodded. She circled around, sitting right next to him on the bed, taking his hands into hers. For whatever the reason, maybe he was too deep in thought or was just simply unable to do it, but Masaomi couldn't make eye contact with his girlfriend in that moment to save his life.

"You have nothing to be afraid of," she said gently, prompting the blonde to breathe sharply.

"Can you really be sure of that, Saki?" he whispered tiredly. The girl could swear that, for a split second, his voice sat on the borderline of a whimper.

"I'll tell you what…if you go back, and something bad happens," Saki began as her boyfriend looked to her as if life itself clung to each word she uttered, "I will _never_ leave your side. I'll be right here, no matter what, just like I am now."

"…Just like that?" He asked, turning toward her with a nervous, deeply hesitant and unsure expression as he continued gliding his thumb across the top of her hand.

"Just like that," she confirmed matter-of-factly with a loving smile.

* * *

City lights beamed through the row of windows which stretched finely from floor to ceiling, casting a shadow past the desk which faced away from the impressive penthouse view. Muffled sirens and car horns could be heard in the distance below, and the lights of Ikebukuro's multiple skyscrapers twinkled in the night, accentuating the ambient glow that rose up from the busy streets.

Bourbon, made neat, occupied nearly half of a short crystal glass. Its color glowed with a brilliant shade of oak through the fingers of the man who stood at the windows, looking out at his concrete playground with a calm, sinister smirk.

Whilst taking in the scene, he suddenly heard the sound of high heels grow louder and louder as they approached him, rhythmically striking the floor down the hallway and prompting him to turn towards the direction of the stout tapping as he brought the glass to his venomous lips, inhaling an elegant sip of the brown, semi-viscous liquid.

"Namie," he said, devoid of eye contact as she proceeded toward him, "how are we tonight."

"Have you seen the news? There's a story that you may find…appealing," the woman said, scrolling down her phone as her clipboard stayed pinned between her torso and the inside of her arm.

"Oh?" he inquired, slyly smiling at her to convey his interest in the subject matter. Pacing across the floor to the coffee table in the center of the spacious room, he lifted the remote to the TV, clicking it on before placing it back down on the glass surface. Within seconds, the glow of the screen illuminated the man's face along with that of his secretary as the audio played:

… _under the Sunshine 60 building. Horada was arrested last year on multiple counts of assault and attempted murder, and as such is to be considered armed and extremely dang—_

"Namie," he started as he tilted his head slightly with a menacing smile at the television, "look into this for me, top priority."

"Izaya, I—"

"Now. While it's still fresh on everybody's mind…" Izaya said playfully, turning to her with a mischievous grin, "It's about time something fun happened around this place, I'm not just gonna let it slide on by, now am I?"

The man turned to the television once more, never letting his smile nor his excitement drop for the smallest of a moment.

"The lion is finally out of its cage," he said, taking his phone out to write a text as his ominous smile grew by the second, "…And now to wake the prey."

* * *

Mikado Ryuugamine splashed cold water onto his face from the bathroom sink inside his shoebox apartment. The sound of the water dripping back down into the sink reverberated shortly, the small noise hollowly bouncing back and forth from the greyish ceramic-tiled walls and floor. He hadn't even bothered to turn the lights on when he walked inside after meeting with Anri; the street outside emanated enough light that a moderate sliver of warm illumination fell through the thin blinds that were barely cracked open over the one window which was in there.

After tossing cold water onto his face a few times, he shut off the squeaky faucet and began to towel himself down. From the top of his forehead to the underside of his chin and his neck, Mikado slowly slid the towel down, staring at himself in the mirror which hung in front of him. There he stood in thought for a moment, and gradually began to realize that what he saw didn't make sense to him.

Ever since he could remember, he always yearned to accomplish the extraordinary…always looked to make the world they lived in a better place. These days, his extraordinary mission had all but failed; the Dollars were very different from what they were before. In fact, he would go as far as to say that they were too far gone at this point. Mikado eventually had stopped attempting to somehow vet the bad members from the good…ever since the Yellow Scarves were disbanded, he concluded that there was simply too much of the bad to keep the floodgates secure any longer as the stranded scarves dropped their yellow and began to find a home with the Dollars. Ultimately, the solution to separate himself from them until they died down seemed to be the most appropriate response. Then, when the group he'd founded was but a memory, he could rebuild them from the ashes—rising like the phoenix.

It was truly no secret to him that his goal remained nameless, having a million different definitions; in fact, he could evaluate each one and apply their principles to himself, just to see if the shoe fit. But after what happened to the Dollars, he found himself lost, not knowing which kind of extraordinary he thought he could be. For him, the idea that he may never find the answer to that question found itself stuck in his mind on a daily basis. And that was the worst part.

He folded the towel back up before hanging it over the stainless-steel rack on the wall to the left of the door, exiting the dimly-lit box of echoes shortly after. He honestly couldn't even hear himself think in there sometimes. The additional sounds of the cars which rolled by along with the clacking of peoples heels as they walked under the window outside didn't help at all, either. They echoed, too.

The raven paced the floor to his small kitchenette, pouring a glass of water from the Brita pitcher he kept in the minifridge and taking a couple of long sips as he attempted to collect his thoughts. The water felt good trickling down his throat—almost cleansing, even.

The footsteps the boy made caused some of the floorboards to squeak as he made his way to the lonely bed, sitting down on the side of it and bunching the sheets up against his chest with phone in hand. His eyes were downcast as he stared blankly at the screen, looking through his photos and stopping his thumb from advancing to the next picture when he landed on a selfie he had taken with Masaomi within the first weeks of his arrival to the city. He blinked, emotionlessly taking in the picture of himself trapped in the blonde's headlock for a minute before shutting the phone off and throwing it onto the floor next to his mattress.

He turned around and switched on his computer, watching its neon white lights blink to life as he took a deep breath. Reaching back behind him, he picked up his cell phone, placing it onto the floor in front of him and to the left of where his PC was set up on a small table, no wider than a stool.

He blinked at his home screen, suddenly feeling that unmistakable fire he felt when he first arrived in Ikebukuro—the resolve to reopen a door he thought he sealed off long ago began to finally resurface through the cracks. His hands subtly twitching above the keyboard with what he could only pinpoint as newfound yet nostalgic excitement, Mikado lowered them onto the keys, typing one word.

'baccano'

Suddenly, he was let into a chat room which bustled with excitement. At first, the familiarity hit the boy like a brick to the face, and he felt a certain unnamable kind of happiness once again surge through his veins as he scrolled up and down the screen. His excitement was short lived, however, met with confusion as he read the contents of the chatroom. The messages suddenly became grim. 99% of the users who were online began flooding messages in about Horada escaping from prison.

Mikado sat there agape at the news, feeling his eyes grow wide and shake with the ghost of adrenaline. The man who he had witnessed hold a gun to Masaomi's bloodied face at the Yellow Scarves' old hideout was free. And nobody knew where he was. Mikado couldn't stop himself from chiming in to the Dollars at this point.

[Taro- _Hey everybody. We need to calm this down. If any Dollars see him, let the police know right away._ ]

[Setton- _Gotcha_ _. I'll be on the lookout, all of you should be, too. Oh, and Taro—good to have you back._ ]

Mikado backed away from the computer after seeing Setton's message, exhaling while placing his hands behind him on the mattress to support himself as he looked upon the messages still pouring in about the man. He felt his heart race and his breath shorten for a few minutes, and he brought the glass of water to his lips to take a deep sip. Feeling the silence of the room, he reminded himself to take things one fact at a time; that's what made him most effective. Suddenly, a refracted light shone through the inside of the glass of water that his eyes looked through, and he quickly realized that it came from his phone. Curious, Mikado furrowed his brow before lowering the glass to the floor, replacing the object in his hand with his phone. What he saw next drew a feeling from him that he didn't know how to describe within the boundaries of the dictionary itself. The light of the phone shrunk his still pupils as the boy sat among the dark of the room. The screen was devoid of content—all except for a single text message.

[ _Masaomi Kida:_ Coming home.]


	3. New Digs

**3\. New Digs**

* * *

Sunlight beamed down through the broken and partly boarded-up windows which lined the towering walls of each side of the cathedral which once stood proudly as a house of worship for the denizens of Ikebukuro. The elegant rays shone on the battered, ripped, and burnt red carpet that stretched throughout the center aisle between wooden pews which existed on both sides of the fabric in a decrepit state of disrepair.

There had been rumors surrounding the abandoned building for years. Stories of hauntings, noises being heard by the residents of the community, dogs barking toward it as their owners guide them past…these claims appeared irregularly, yet often enough to become somewhat of an urban myth to those who lived in its vicinity. As such, not even the curious adventurers of the area thought to venture into the space of the condemned structure.

The Rikkyo Gakuin Chapel was home to the forces of benevolence for the longest time, but from the very moment that the old wooden door was creaked open once again by the man in orange, the area inside resonated with an aura one would only describe as that of an impending doom. As Horada squeezed himself through the crack in the door, he observed the ominous room which echoed with every small noise he made. Once through the entryway, he moved his arm back behind him to shut the door and secure it by fastening the cast iron lock which was bolted to the wood.

He walked tentatively up the lonely aisle toward the cracked marble altar which once ornately completed the room, but now stood abandoned and bathed in shadow. Placing his abraded hands on the smooth surface, he looked up to the wall behind it, which gloomily featured a fallen crucifix among a pile of debris, battered and beaten by the wear of nature's toll over time. After a moment, he traced his hand along the top of the altar as he idly walked around it, pacing behind the broken table to view the desecrated symbol up close.

He aligned himself in front of the splintering wood of the cross as he tilted his head at it slowly. Staring into the rotted face of Jesus, he stood deep in contemplation with the ghost of contempt instinctively slithering onto his hardened scowl. He breathed huskily through his nose, swearing that he could hear even himself think in that moment.

Looking to the left, Horada held his glare as he noticed another door, which hung open on its hinges with a mysterious sense of purpose. A faint yet constant and mysterious noise he heard beckoned him to it, and at this realization he cautiously approached the entrance. Peeking through the doorway, he heard a dead tone coming through the hearing end of a phone which hung off its hook, the cord connecting the device to the box on the wall unmoving. The haunting stillness of the vision itself was enough to not only raise the hair on the man's skin, but it also heightened his awareness of his environment. All seemed to stand still as he silenced his breathing, scanning the small back room which was populated only with that eerie phone and a dusty desk.

Carefully making his way to it, he grasped the plastic phone in his roughened hand and hung it up. The steel sound of his action rung throughout the back room and most definitely echoed through the cathedral outside. It was only after a very small moment of silence in his newfound solace that the phone began to ring, like bells chiming in the dark of the night.

"Yeah," the fugitive said into the receiver after answering the call without a thought.

"Looks like you've made it this far, congratulations," the voice on the other end said as it chuckled. Disturbingly enough, the voice was modulated downward such that it couldn't be identified.

"I just did what the guards told me to do," the inmate replied, "who is this."

"Well what kind of a good time would this be if I told you that now? Stay where you are, you'll find a fresh pair of clothes and a plate of food and water in the closet next to the door to this room," the sinister voice instructed as the man whipped his head toward the direction of the closet.

"Make yourself at home, I'll meet with you tonight," the ominous voice said, "Oh, and feel free to invite some friends. The phone dials out with the number 9."

Shortly after, the unknown caller hung up the phone and the line went dead. Noticing this, Horada furrowed his brow at the feeling of being played with. He threw the phone back onto its hook with a grunt before walking over to the closet and finding exactly what he was told he would find behind its door. The clothes inside were exactly his size, and the food consisted of two packages of his favorite brand of sushi along with a jug of water which had a scribbled-on smiley face drawn on it in permanent marker.

"What the hell…" he whispered to himself. He lifted the items from the floor of the closet, placing them onto the desk as his mind raced at how disturbing the discovery really was. Whoever it was on the other end of the line, he concluded, must've known him very well.

* * *

The raven-haired boy from the countryside waited along the subway tracks after school, black bookbag strapped over his shoulder and he himself clad in his blue Raira Academy blazer. There he stood on the subway platform at Exit 1, an inlet to Ikebukuro on the Tobu-Tojo Line. As he spent his time buried in his phone blankly tending to unimportant matters, he felt the wind kick his hair upward slightly from the trains which passed by on a fixed timeline. Every 7 minutes, he would look up briefly from his mobile device, look around the platform at the hundreds of bodies that disembarked the arrived train, and finally look back down to the phone to kill more time until the next train came running through the platform.

He supported himself by leaning against a dirtied ceramic pillar which kept the tunnel from collapsing unto itself by the weight of the busy street above. Occasionally, he would look to the low-budgeted, rusted digital signs which would indicate with red LED lights the specific train that was about to arrive. All the past arrivals yielded the same result to him thus far; the fact that each one of them was not the train he was waiting for is the one thing that they all had in common.

He had been waiting there ever since he was released from class at Raira, utilizing his headphones as a device to fill the time, or at least make it go by faster. He barely absorbed the words to the tune which blasted in his ears and muted the world around him.

"… _Though I'll never know your name,_

 _I'll cry for you the same"_

Another train arrived, and shortly after it uneventfully departed just like all the others, Mikado habitually looked back down to his phone with a breath, scrolling down social media absently as if he were a zombie until suddenly, a hand emerged from the group of disembarking passengers and grasped his right shoulder from behind, _hard_.

Alarmed, Mikado jerked his head to the side while instinctively jolting his arms up defensively.

"Well _someone's_ on edge!" a familiar voice rang in Mikado's ears, prompting him to turn around fully. For him, that moment passed by so fast that he honestly couldn't recollect the specifics of the few short seconds during which it occurred.

The raven-haired boy met the amber eyes of a face he had almost lost faith in ever seeing again, and a tidal wave of emotion hit him so hard in that moment that he couldn't utter a word. He could only breathe, and even that was shorted by a significant margin.

"Ah, the _silence!_ Wait, wait, I'll give you three choices at who you're looking at right now. 1! Masaomi Kida. 2! Mas—" the blonde said before the wind got knocked out of him. Unexpectedly, he was caught off-guard by the biggest bear hug he's probably gotten from anyone in his entire life. Kida's surprised expression quickly settled after a moment as he brought his right hand up to meet the back of his best friend, pulling him into the embrace that he so insisted upon.

"Heh…jeez, Mikado," the blonde laughed with a gentle smile, "Still won't laugh at my jokes, huh?"

The raven-haired boy released his friend from his tight grip after realizing he had been hanging onto him for about 7 seconds, laughing in response as he rubbed the back of his head to diffuse any awkwardness from the moment. The girl who stood next to Masaomi giggled into her hand at the event unfolding in front of her, which made Mikado blush even more heavily as he offered her a welcoming smile.

"Seriously though, Mikado, it's good to see you," Kida smiled at the countryside boy, who in return nodded and smiled back widely.

"It's been way too long, Masaomi," he replied, his voice expressing the overwhelming joy he felt at the sight of the blonde who stood just a few feet away. He turned again to the girl who stood next to his friend and had been wordlessly smiling at him during their exchange.

"O-oh! Sorry, and you are?" the raven nervously smiled at her, bowing before noticing her remarkably beautiful silver eyes.

"Mikado, this is my girlfriend, Saki. Saki, this is Mikado, my one and only bestest friend since forever," Masaomi explained playfully as Saki stepped forward toward a bashful Mikado and stretched out her hand in greeting.

"So nice to finally meet you, Mikado! I've heard so many good things," she said with an openhearted grin, excitedly shaking Mikado's hand.

"R-Really? Well that's good to hear, 'cause likewise!" the raven exclaimed shyly, his gaze flickering to Masaomi faster than the blink of an eye before returning to his friend's lover.

Mikado turned and lifted his arm to point to the nearest escalator which would bring them to the surface of Ikebukuro Station.

"Anyway, why don't we start walking? You guys can fill me in as we go!" he said, turning toward the moving stairway and signaling for the couple to follow.

"Well, well, well," Kida smirked as Mikado raised a brow and turned back toward his friend with a puzzled expression, "look who's leading the way into the big bad city, now! It's almost like déjà vu!"

"Y-yeah, it kinda is!" Mikado laughed as they made their way onto the street, "So Masaomi, you never told me,"

"Huh? Told you what?"

"Why you guys decided to come back all of a sudden? This place isn't nearly as exciting as it used to be,"

"Oh, well if you didn't want us to be here, then—" Masaomi said, smiling on the inside overjoyed at the old familiar sensation of pushing his friend's buttons.

"N-no way! I couldn't be happier that you're here! Or, I mean, both of you guys! I-aww man…" Mikado stumbled as the two behind him busted a gut laughing at his struggle to get the right idea across. Masaomi really couldn't have been happier that he was met with the same old Mikado he left behind. Honestly, he questioned whether he even deserved to be with him in that moment. It came to him as a surprise that the raven was so happy to see him, and furthermore that he didn't notice Masaomi's own crippling nervousness that he thought was undoubtedly a dead giveaway as soon as the train rolled up to the platform at Exit 1. To him, it took an immense amount of courage just to get over his racing heartbeat and even say hi, and the fact that it apparently didn't show was something the blonde was grateful for.

"It's all good Mikado, we know what you mean," the blonde reassured with a short laugh as he took Saki's hand into his and continued to follow for a few more blocks.

" _Anyways_ buddy, if you wouldn't mind giving up your _exemplary_ leadership powers for just a sec," Masaomi continued playfully as he walked himself and Saki up onto the raven's side, " _we_ have something to show _you!_ Right, Saki?"

"Yeah!" Saki exclaimed, looking over and making eye contact with the raven, "it's super cool, we promise, Mikado."

At this, Mikado lightly smiled as he let the rush of genuine happiness flow through his heart. It felt just like old times, when Masaomi snatched him right off the subway tracks and began to tour him all around the city like they were adventurers who were way out of their league. Of course, it was nice to switch roles for that short while and become a leader himself for all but a couple minutes, but the raven felt overjoyed even more at the thought of reliving Masaomi's particular brand of the Ikebukuro experience, wherever it would lead this time.

The trio walked east toward Sunshine City. This district featured a plethora of shops, tourist attractions and hotels, simultaneously never failing to supply an exciting nightlife to all who traveled there. It wasn't a far walk from Ikebukuro Station, but still the fact that their destination was in that vicinity clearly indicated to Mikado that the other two were apparently very much out for excitement from the moment they stepped off the train. Not that it was of disappointment to the raven of course, but he couldn't ignore the ever-looming feeling that he was getting a little tired. After all, he _was_ fresh off a full day at the academy…but at the same time, Saki and Masaomi had been travelling all day. That idea made his slowly growing physical exhaustion more palatable.

Skyscrapers began to replace the smaller residential buildings as they advanced from block to block until they arrived at their destination, leaving Mikado confused as to why they were standing outside the Ikebukuro Garden Nightclub & Hotel early in the evening during the middle of the week.

"Uhm, so…something tells me that they might be closed right now, guys," Mikado speculated, unsure as to how Masaomi didn't see this coming for himself. It was only a Wednesday.

"Yeah, it is," the blonde replied knowingly, shoving a hand into his back pocket to take out a small envelope. Mikado tilted his head toward it, scanning the package with a curious expression before carrying that same look up to his friend's face. His brow was raised as he racked his brain to make the smallest of a guess as to what Masaomi's plan was. He could tell his friend was excited; it emanated like the glow of a forest fire into the night sky.

Before he knew it, the blonde slid a card out from the envelope with a black magnetic strip on it. Flipping it over, it elegantly read:

" _The Residences_

 _at_

 _Ikebukuro Garden_

 _47-C"_

"So…you guys booked a hotel?" Mikado guessed, feeling a strike of fear impact him as the thought crossed his mind that their stay was only temporary. Masaomi and Saki looked to him, smiling wordlessly for a moment before Kida twisted his face into a mixture of thought and amusement.

"Mmmmmmmm…kinda?" the blonde winked as he began his ascent up the stairs with Saki in toe, beckoning a confused Mikado to follow.

The look on the countryside boy's face was perplexing to say the least. At this point, he figured he would just go wherever the wind blew him in this adventure that Masaomi and Saki seemed to have wanted him to embark on. Without a word of question, the raven followed them up the ornate stairs of the club, following them through the spinning turnstile door which lived in the center of the grand entrance. Once inside, the three were greeted with a magenta-colored carpet and an aesthetically enthralling modern décor consisting of glass, black, white, and silver. Kida seemed just as engrossed in their surroundings as Saki and Mikado were, their expressions of wonder probably sticking out like a sore thumb as they made their way to the elevator lobby.

Hitting the UP button on the lift, Masaomi looked to Saki with an expression that unfailingly conveyed an excited edginess as he himself had no idea what to expect of what they would find in room 47-C.

"You guys didn't need to check in or anything?" Mikado asked quizzically, to which Saki looked at him with a comforting smile.

"Nah, I have a feeling it'll be ok with them," she assured, giggling to herself a little at Mikado's mystified demeanor which continued to grow by the minute.

A few moments passed as the elevator took the three of them quickly and smoothly up to the 47th floor, and once the doors opened, the three were met with nothing short of undying majesty. All of them knew for a fact that neither of them had ever spent time in a space such as this one – and that was just the hallway. Through the windows, they could see that the sun had set over Ikebukuro as the three had arrived at the nightclub, and now was completely hidden beyond the horizon. They proceeded down the hallway as Masaomi withdrew the keycard from his pocket once again. Walking up to double wooden doors at the end of the hall, they read the gold nameplate which was nailed to the wall next to them.

 _47-C_

"Looks like this is it," Masaomi declared as he ran the card through the receiver attached to the doorknob and clicked it open as soon as a green light blinked at them from the device.

Not a single one of them was silent at what they saw beyond the doors. As the wooden panels opened, the three were greeted with an immaculately kempt and spacious living space. Complete with a pearl white rug, modern furniture, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, the apartment resembled one of the most extravagant living quarters in the city, like the ones they had only seen in magazines or music videos.

They all parted from their closely-knit group almost involuntarily, each almost possessed by their individual awe and curiosity. As they looked around the space and to each other with excited smiles, each of them felt the same surge of energy traverse their bodies.

The living room doubled as the foyer to the suite, inhabited by two black couches with white cushions which sat adjacent to each other, surrounding a minimalistic yet sterling glass coffee table. Behind one of the couches, three windows lined the wall which delivered a beautiful view of Sunshine 60 and the surrounding area. Even more appealing was the balcony which included two sunchairs facing the same scene. Back on the inside, a small half-wall divided the living room from the kitchenette along with a short, narrow hall which led to the master bedroom and bath. On top of this half-wall, a black wooden wine rack stretched to the molding of the ceiling. After a short while of exploring, they all met wordlessly back in the living room just to stare at each other as they all fought to keep a breath in their lungs for more than half a second.

"Mas-Masaomi…" Mikado began as he looked to his friend, who was still in a wondrous stupor at their newfound habitat, "how much are you guys paying per night for this?!"

The blonde turned toward him along with Saki as his mouth hung halfway open.

"It…It's mine."

Mikado subtly shook his head in disbelief as he stared back at the couple, who appeared just as shocked as he.

"Wha-but how?! How did you…?" He asked nearly demandingly, to which the other two smiled and looked to each other.

"Have you ever heard of this club, Mikado? Ikebukuro Garden?" Kida started as his best friend nodded in the affirmative, "Well, thing is, we came back to the city for more than just a visit."

Mikado raised a brow as he listened, feeling a heavy pang of relief release him from the jowls of stress that had held onto him since his friends had arrived in the city.

"Turns out…you're looking at The Garden's brand- _new_ number- _one_ act, _Mi-kado_!" Kida proclaimed, pasting a toothy grin onto his face and flailing his arms outward toward him.

"You're kidding," the raven replied dryly, to which Masaomi's face comically dropped like a hammer. At this, Saki burst out laughing.

"Masaomi, you never told me that Mikado was way funnier than you!" she laughed as her boyfriend yelped in surprise at her.

"Wha-Saki!? Aw, come'on! I spent _hours_ coming up with what I was gonna say!" the blonde pleaded to the heavens, forcing a little laugh to escape from the country boy's lungs.

 _That's Masaomi_ , he thought, feeling the very essence of happiness circulate through his being.

 _Charming as ever._


	4. Blind

**4\. Blind**

* * *

Mikado rode the elevator down from the 47th floor of the Ikebukuro Garden Hotel excitedly tapping away on his phone. He had texted Anri just minutes before about their friend's new home and that she was invited up to join in on their small housewarming and of course to meet Saki for the first time. The girl spared pretty much no hesitation in accepting the invite, and was on her way to the nightclub to meet up with Mikado minutes later.

They had agreed to meet outside the building, where the boy would then escort her up to Masaomi and Saki's suite. Moments ago, upstairs, a mutual agreement was reached among the three of them that everybody could get a short breather if the raven went for some fresh air and found Anri, simultaneously giving Masaomi and Saki a few minutes of privacy to get themselves acquainted with the new space. Although the boy from the countryside couldn't help but feel the smallest bit of jealousy from the suggestion, his excitement at the night ahead overrode the feeling nearly completely. Well, the excitement _plus_ that stupidly funny way Masaomi cocked his brows up and down at him before he left, suggesting that he was giving the raven and Anri some " _alone_ time". Mikado found himself chuckling and shaking his head like the mature human being that his best friend apparently wasn't.

The boy heard the soft female voice of the elevator notify him that he had reached the ground floor after only a mere 15 seconds of standing in the lift. The sterling steel doors parted to grant Mikado entry into the nightclub lobby once again, through which he made his way with a little extra pep in his step than before. He pushed through the rotating front door effortlessly with a radiant smile on his face as he jogged down the main staircase and onto the streets of Ikebukuro to wait for Anri.

The night was still in its infancy, and for the first time in a long time, Mikado felt that the sun going down had no effect on him. For the past year, the boy had retreated to the sanctity of his small home when his day had ended, settling into the blankets just like a turtle retracts into its shell as the sun fell behind the horizon. Somehow, he didn't get that feeling today, and that was the most refreshing thing he's felt for what seemed like a lifetime.

He looked back down to his phone to make sure that he didn't miss a vibration before realizing that the chances of that happening were slim to none—after all, he would've felt it; The phone had been in his hand the entire time. Laughing at himself, he slipped the phone back into his pocket, leaving the charm which hung from the back of it sticking out like the cord of a lanyard. His hands followed, likewise falling into his pockets as the boy stood in wait for his friend to arrive.

Only a few minutes more went by before he looked to his left and spotted the beautiful girl who made her way toward him from the corner of the block, smiling shyly when they made eye contact. Mikado returned the smile as he walked to meet her halfway.

"Hey Anri!" the boy exclaimed, waving at her.

"Hi, Mikado!" Anri greeted, her smile unwavering as she stopped in front of him. Mikado couldn't help but let out a tiny giggle as a result of his overbearing excitement, to which Anri looked up to smile at him deeply. She couldn't recollect the last time the boy had appeared this happy, and that made her feel overwhelmingly joyous in a way that only he could ignite.

"So, ready to see them?" he asked as he put his hand out to signal toward the direction of the front door to Ikebukuro Garden. Anri's gaze followed his direction as she looked upon the door with pleasure before looking back at the raven.

"Y-yeah, I'm excited," she replied, blushing a little as she smiled back at him.

"Let's go then! They're waiting upstairs," Mikado insisted, bringing Anri to his side as they began traversing the steps upward toward the entrance of the nightclub.

"Well, if it isn't Mikado Ryuugamine," a serpent-like voice playfully greeted as the two immediately froze on the steps for a moment before turning around, "and…Anri Sonohara! It's so _nice_ to see you both."

Mikado could feel Anri clasp his arm from behind, gradually squeezing it to convey the uncomfortable tension that overcame her body as she met the steely-eyed gaze of the man on the sidewalk.

"Anri, head on inside. I'll be right there," the raven said, turning to her with a comforting look in his eye. The girl hesitated for a moment when she heard this and took in his complexion.

"It's ok Anri, really. I'll be right behind you," he repeated encouragingly. At this, the girl conceded, nodding as she left his side to walk the rest of the way up the stairs and proceed through the front door into the lobby of the nightclub-hotel. Mikado could feel his nerves shiver down his spine with a cold comparable to the arctic. After a short moment, he could also sense Anri's gaze hit the back of his head after she had proceeded inside and placed her hand up against the glass of the door which insulated all sound from the streets outside.

"Well, no need to be rude you two, I was only saying hi," the informant laughed innocently, flicking his wrist backward nonchalantly as Mikado made his way onto the street to speak with him a little more quietly, never breaking eye contact with him.

"It's never just saying hi with you, Izaya. Can I help you with something," the raven replied dryly, already wishing that he hadn't engaged the man in the first place.

"Actually, you can! I heard a rumor…" Orihara began, placing a foot forward and stirring his eyes deviously in Mikado's direction, "It wouldn't be true that Masaomi Kida's come back to Ikebukuro, now would it? I had just assumed that you of all people would know."

"That question seems ironic, coming from you. I thought you knew everything," the raven replied.

"Doesn't it? Even _I_ enjoy a little mystery every now and again."

Mikado remained silent. When it came to speaking with Izaya Orihara, experience had taught him to tread extremely lightly. Speak only when necessary, and never divulge anything to him, even if it was something miniscule like a favorite color. That was what was most dangerous of all about people like him; the fundamentally deceptive can transform the most innocent pieces of gossip into a full-scale war if they so pleased.

"Oh come now, Mikado," the man continued, taking the other's silence with a smile as he walked around him, "I would hate to think you've deemed it unsafe to tell me! After all, with everything going on in the news…he'd probably be better off if I knew he was here."

Mikado held a stoic glare straightforward as the man circling around him hunted for the smallest of a tell on the high schooler's face.

"Is that supposed to mean something?" The boy replied quietly, feeling as if he were being pushed closer and closer to the edge of a cliff as he continued to attempt to hide his growing curiosity and apprehension at Izaya's words.

"Well, no, not necessarily," the man replied, squinting his eyes cunningly at the raven, "I only simply would hate to see anything bad happen to him…"

Mikado's eyes grew very slightly at the words, and it didn't go unnoticed by Izaya as he bore teeth in his ever-growing menacing grin.

"Or, of course…his dearly beloved," he finished, which earned a twitch of Mikado's head as it snapped in the informant's direction.

"I think we're done here, Izaya," Mikado declared huskily as he stared the man down.

"As you wish, Mikado! I won't keep you," the man exclaimed playfully, breaking the tension like a twig before turning away, walking and raising his arm behind him in departure, "Just say hi to him for me!"

As his eyes followed the informant's gradually retreating back, Mikado finally felt safe to let a sliver of emotion bleed onto his face as he blinked away the looming bags which began to grow just under his eyes as he slowly and quietly exhaled a trembled breath.

 _Whatever that was…_

 _Was…was that a threat?_ He thought as he caught his breath.

Mikado ran a hand through his hair as he continued to try and remember bits and pieces from his petrification during their conversation. Secrets and lies were what tore he, Anri and Masaomi apart in their painful past. Though he knew this very fact to be true, still he stood painstakingly determining whether to tell his blonde friend about the encounter or not. His judgement clouded by fear, he could only stand there alone for a few more moments before he heard Anri carefully step back outside, concern etched upon her face.

"Mikado…a-are you ok?" she asked as the raven made his way up the stairs to the nightclub once again. He only looked at her, unable to mask his expression before getting his act together and smiling briefly.

"Yeah, everything's fine Anri," he replied, "just Izaya being Izaya, really. Nothing to worry about."

"What did he say to you?" she asked.

"He-uh…" Mikado trailed off before hardening his resolve and deciding to live in the truth, "He was wondering if Masaomi was back in town."

Anri shifted her eyes to the ground in response, feeling a little alarmed at the idea of the informant mixing with their blonde friend again.

"Mikado," she started after a hard minute of thinking, "I want to forget what just happened as much as you probably do…but I really think we should mention it to Masaomi."

The boy inhaled with uncertainty at her words, a big part of him not wanting to say anything about it.

"Anri, I really don't think it will do anything except drive them away again," Mikado said, meeting Anri's confused gaze with confidence, "I just don't want to see that happen when this could turn out to be nothing."

" _What_ could turn out to be nothing?" Anri probed, her question catching the boy off guard and creating a silence in return.

"Did he…did he say anything else to you, Mikado?"

"No, he didn't," the boy replied, hating himself for lying to her. Even when it came to something as containable as he saw this as, he deemed that the less he implicated her, the better.

"It did make me nervous that he would ask about Masaomi right when he got back to Tokyo, but nothing he said struck me as imminently dangerous," Mikado continued, "We have nothing to worry about, Anri. Just to make sure, I'll let Celty know. I'm sure she'd be happy to help keep tabs on Izaya with me."

"Mikado…" Anri replied, hesitantly breathing, "I guess if you think it's nothing, I'll trust you."

The boy smiled tenderly even as he felt his conscience rip him apart from the inside. She _trusts_ him.

"I still think you should say something to him, it would only be fair. But it's your call to make." Anri finished, turning away from him and toward the door, leaving Mikado standing behind her with a somber and thoughtful expression.

"Ready to go start the night?" Anri asked, shifting her gaze back toward the entranced raven, who awakened as she met his eyes again.

"Y-yeah! Follow me," Mikado said, reigniting the excitement of the evening as best he could, "right this way."

He paced ahead of her toward the door to the nightclub, pushing through it as Anri followed suit before they proceeded through the elegant lobby and onto the elevator. Once inside the spotless lift, Mikado tapped the 47th floor button to take them upstairs.

"The 47th floor?!" Anri yelped in shock, demonstrating that she'd clearly underestimated the gravity of their new living situation.

"Yep! The apartment is incredible, you'll see." Mikado replied excitedly as they felt heavier amidst the elevator which raised them at a rate of three floors per second.

* * *

"So I didn't tell you, but I found us a little something to celebrate," Saki said with a thrilled grin on her face as Masaomi turned toward her from across the kitchen table with gleeful curiosity.

"Oh yeah?" He mused, baring teeth in a smile as he walked around to stand in front of her and hold her hands in his. At this, Saki bit her lip happily as she turned away from the blonde's quickly approaching face.

"What kind of little something could that be?" he whispered suggestively, making her giggle in response before they pecked each other's lips sweetly.

"You'll see, kid," she replied, lightly tapping the side of the boy's face with a smile after pulling away. Right as she said this, they both heard a knock on the door.

"Hm. Sooner than you'd think," she winked, Kida's heart fluttering as he slipped his hands into his pockets at her in response while she turned to make her way toward the door. Clicking it open, she was greeted with two faces, one of which she hadn't seen before.

"Hey Saki!" Mikado greeted as Anri smiled politely beside him, "Long time no see!"

"Too long, Mikado," the charcoal-haired beauty laughed before placing her gentle gaze onto Anri.

"And you must be Anri!"

"Y-yes I am! Anri Sonohara," the girl bowed in greeting, to which Saki laughed happily before putting her hand on the girl's shoulder, signaling her to stand back up.

"Come 'on sister, no need for the formality! We're all friends here!"

"O-oh, ok!" Anri smiled in response, standing back up.

"Come on in, you two! Make yourselves at home!" Saki exclaimed welcomingly, ushering the two inside as they took off their shoes. Looking up toward the table, Anri met Masaomi's amber eyes and toothy grin for the first time in a year.

"Well look who it is!" the blonde proclaimed from his place in the kitchen.

"Masaomi!" Anri exclaimed as she paced across the room to give him a hug, which the boy gladly returned, "You look well, how are you?"

"Doing just great after finally settling down for a sec," he laughed, "how about you! You like the place?"

"It's beautiful! A lot more than I expect—" Anri said before the view across the living room and out the window caught her off-guard, stopping her thought in its tracks with its unyielding majesty. Masaomi furrowed a brow as to why she stopped speaking before tracing her eyes to see the reason and laughing after realizing how enticed by the view she was.

"Yeah, that view really is something," he said, "there's a balcony too, we can show you later!"

"Riiiiiight after..." Saki started from behind the other three, attracting all eyes to herself along with a thin brown bag that she held in her hands. Looks of interest took the faces of the other three in the room, including Masaomi who still had no idea what his girlfriend was up to.

"Right after we treat ourselves a little bit," she finished as she slid the bag down to reveal a volcanic-black glass bottle, adorned with an elegant golden label. All eyes in the room grew wide as Saki landed the bottle onto the kitchen table with a declarative thud, taking in the surprised faces of her three friends with pride and laughter.

"This…is Diamond Akatsuki Sake," she proclaimed to the others in a lightheartedly dramatic way, "It usually goes for around 37,000 Yen."

Immediately, jaws hit the floor.

"S-Saki," Kida began as Mikado and Anri both mystifyingly looked from the bottle, to each other, and finally over to the blonde, "How did you get that!? _Where_ did you get that?!"

"Compliments of Kyouhei, Saburo, Erika and Walker," she giddily laughed, "you can thank them!"

Masaomi's expression softened to one of genuine surprise as he learned of what his old friends had treated them to. Making a mental note to reach out and thank them, he let his expression of true gratefulness brighten the room exuberantly as he stepped forward to accept the bottle his girlfriend handed to him to crack open. For a moment, he examined the bottle in his hands as if it were the world's largest diamond, and then he looked up to Saki and his two friends with a proud smile.

"First of all, I just wanna thank both of you for making me and Saki feel more than welcomed back. I…" Masaomi's voice cracked a bit as he spoke caringly from an emotional side of himself that was rarely seen by anyone other than his girlfriend. Anri smiled sweetly in response as Mikado felt a bit of a flutter himself. It wasn't until now, in this moment, that he saw how nervous his best friend apparently really was about coming back and seeing them again. The very idea truly revealed to the countryside boy just how much Masaomi really cared for them, and that feeling was something so great that he couldn't shake it even if he wanted to.

"I'm so happy that I have you guys, I really am," he continued as Saki smiled up at him, hugging his arm, "Me and Saki would never rather share this with anyone else. Eeeeeeven though we're not _technically_ allowed to anyways until we're 20," he finished, prompting laughter which filled the space faster than the blink of an eye.

"Welp," Masaomi said, positioning his hand over the cork and looking around at the other excited three in the room, "Let's do something illegal! _Kanpai!_ "

At the sound of the lightly chilled bottle being opened, the room resounded with cheers, applause, and well-wishes as the four of them began pouring small amounts of the alcoholic liquid into short glasses and talking happily amongst themselves.

Masaomi looked up from the table in the midst of the madness, catching Mikado's wandering eye and smiling back at him with nothing but overwhelming joy surging through his body.

 _Damn, it's good to be back._

* * *

On another side of town just to the west, Horada sat at the desk which was centered in the back room of the deserted Rikkyo Gakuin Chapel, surrounded by 6 old acquaintances he had collaborated with during his time in the Yellow Scarves. These men were hardened killers. As loyal as they were, each of them were proudly unafraid to pull a trigger when they were told…or when they simply wanted to.

There they all sat around their superior, who had ditched the prison jumpsuit in favor of the clothes which were left for him in the closet by the man on the phone earlier that very same day. As promised, the very same man was due to arrive at any moment, now that the night had set in. Horada followed all his instructions thus far, playing into the man's game for now. He felt safe that whatever was going to happen when they met, it was going to be seven on one if things turned ugly. Knowing this, the fugitive spared no second thoughts about following through on the shady meeting.

Besides, the man didn't break him out of prison to do anything to harm him now. But what he _did_ break him out for was still a mystery to him at this point in time. And he would stop at nothing to hunt the answer down.

After a while, they all heard a lively, rhythmic knock on the front door to the chapel, the noise from it resounding through the grand hall of broken wood and stone. Looking to his men and back, Horada rose from the desk and proceeded out toward the door to the hall, his men forming a uniform, intimidating line of defense behind him before he reached out to release the locked latch and open the door.

Behind it stood a lanky figure doused in the shadow of the night, which proceeded to walk into the dimly lit space inside the gloomy cathedral upon the door opening for him. There they stood face-to-face, emanating a nameless feeling of despair through their joined presence. Stretching a hand out with eyes locked on his, the man spoke.

"Horada," he said as the fugitive complied, shaking his hand, "Izaya Orihara. It's a pleasure."

"Izaya…I've heard of you before…" Horada replied, "You're that info broker."

"In the flesh!" the man affirmed delightedly as Horada grunted.

"So what gives, then. Why sway the guards into going behind their captains' backs to let me go. What's the catch."

"Catch?" Izaya replied in a puzzled laugh, "Oh there's no catch at all, my good sir!"

At this, Horada raised a brow very cautiously. He had always heard that this information broker had a liking for watching the world burn.

"Then tell me why you did it," Horada demanded as Izaya observed the six men behind him nod in agreement with their leader.

"It looks to me that you don't have many friends left, eh Horada?" Izaya laughed, prompting a scowl from the fugitive.

"These were my top confidants when I was in the Yellow Scarves, don't feed me that bullshit," he replied sternly, putting his men on a pedestal without a second thought.

"That may be, but you'll need more if you want any shot at the thing I came to tell you about."

"Huh?" the fugitive grunted quizzically as a smile spread across Izaya's face. The escapee listened intently to the man, intrigued at the thought that he may disclose something of meaningful interest to him.

"You see, I didn't break you out to help _me,_ " Izaya spoke firmly, "I broke you out so that you could help _yourself_! I know you crave justice for yourself…but like I said, I'd advise you to beef up your team a little more than _this_ before you consider what I offer."

"And what _do_ you offer." Horada said gruffly after a moment, staring down at the man who stood before him.

"Why, the one and only person that got you into this mess in the first place, of course!" Izaya presented bouncily before locking his sinister eyes with those of the fugitive in a steely gaze and speaking venomously with his forked tongue.

"Masaomi Kida."

* * *

"Sssssso..! You go to school wiiiith Mikadoo?" Saki slurred out drunkenly to Anri, who was feeling extremely loose-lipped and dizzy herself. She felt Saki's hand land haphazardly on her shoulder, which made her laugh.

"Yeahh I do! We're class rep-res-entatibes together!" Anri replied, feeling as though her natural nervousness was erased under the warm blanket of drunkenness the sake had provided her.

She had received a wonderful vibe from Saki the very moment she met her. She found it very easy to speak with her there on the couch in the sterling-white modern living room even without the alcohol in her system.

"Ya know what I think?" Saki laughed, smiling greatly at Anri's loosened gaze.

"Wh-what doya think." Anri challenged, a tone which was alien to her but which she found exhilarating all at the same time.

"IIII think you like him!"

Anri jumped at this, nearly tripping over Saki's feet on the rug as she leapt over to cup her hand over the other girl's mouth. She felt her eyes nearly go red but was able to spare a single fiber of sober consciousness to control it, stopping them from appearing.

"ShhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Anri hushed at her, holding a firm hand over her face so that she couldn't say any more. She felt Saki laugh hysterically under her hand, prompting her to detach from her almost immediately.

"I-I KNEW IT!" Saki exclaimed excitedly at Anri, who couldn't control the fiery blush which she felt appear on her cheeks.

"What do you think they're talking about in there?" Mikado inquired to his best friend from the sunchair on the balcony as he sipped his third drink. Masaomi leaned his back up against the short wall of the balcony and smiled at the two laughing girls in front of him just beyond the windows in the living room.

"I have nooooooo idea, but I'm glad they're having fun," Masaomi laughed past his mild drunken stupor.

"Saki can be a handful sometimes like that, especially when she's partying like this."

"Oh really," Mikado chuckled as he sipped his drink once again, feeling the warmth of his intoxication crawl behind his eyes and on the back of his neck. Masaomi smiled at him as he shifted his gaze from the window over to his best friend.

"Yep! She's just like me that way," he laughed as he himself took a sip from his fourth drink of the night.

"Oh please," Mikado smiled spiritedly, "you're crazy sometimes, sure, but you never became anything _I_ couldn't handle."

"And I thought you knew me," Masaomi laughed after a moment of looking back at his best friend, taking another gulp of the expensive sake. Mikado laughed with him for a while before they both settled down, looking back to their drinks and out to the city beyond them, which shone like a jewel which crested the Earth…

"You really love her, don't you," Mikado said with a light smile below his alcohol-induced lazy stare.

"More than anything," the blonde replied, looking upon Mikado's expression which he couldn't quite place his finger on, nor identify.

"Do you have someone?" Kida asked like a shot in the dark, which slammed through the body armor which shielded Mikado's heart.

"Psssh," Mikado replied with a short laugh after a moment, which was a response that Masaomi was not really expecting from him. He expected something a little more tentative and nervous. But then again, alcohol does invoke the strangest of surprises.

"What kinda answer is that, Mi-kado?" Kida chuckled hardily through his glass.

"Heh, it means that I fucking do, Masaomi. I'm just…working on it."

"ooooOOOOHHH?" Kida mused happily, walking over to sit next to his friend, "And whoooo might that be? I bet it's Anri, isn't it!"

Such an assumption couldn't make Mikado laugh harder.

"You've been thinking that for sooooo long, Masaomi, you kill me," he continued, laughing and taking another sip.

"Well, if not her…" the blonde continued, making Mikado pause, "then who?"

The raven's silence continued for a while longer while he found making eye contact with his friend nearly impossible to establish. He thanked the city beyond them for providing an excellent, believable distraction as he thought long and hard on his next words. Finally, he looked into Masaomi's amber eyes which glowed dimly, adorned with tiny specks of gold—the city lights which reflected off his irises.

"Mmmmmmmwouldn't _you_ like to know!" Mikado laughed into his glass as he continued to drink, watching the liquid descend lower and lower with each breath.

"Ok, fine! Don't tell me! I like secrets, it's no big deal," Masaomi laughed lightheartedly before walking to the glass sliding doors to get another drink from inside. He grasped the handle for a second, leaving a space of time in between his actions to look over to his best friend who still sat in the sunchair.

"But whoever it is, they're definitely lucky."

Mikado felt unbelievably inspired and happy at his friend's words, but offered him only a side glance and a smile that the blonde returned before he watched him go inside. He twisted his head back around to look to the city of dreams, and gave himself a moment to reflect as he eagerly waited for the next few moments to fly by until Masaomi came back outside…

And make him feel whole once again.


	5. All Is Well

**5\. All Is Well**

* * *

Soft rays of light began to gently seep through the forest of lashes which shielded Mikado's eyes from the risen morning sun, just as they did every morning. The boy stirred drowsily in reaction to nature's intrusion, slowly squinting his eyes and absently shifting his face from side to side in a feeble attempt to block out the realization that a new day had been born. Despite his efforts, he surrendered his resistance with a gritty, irritated sigh and opened his eyes gradually to leave time for his vision to adjust to the newfound brightness which soaked his surroundings. It didn't take long for his remaining senses to awaken and pick up the rest; not only did the airy sounds of the bustling streets 47 storeys below suddenly reveal themselves, but so did the searing headache that pulsed relentlessly throughout the entirety of his skull.

Gathering every bit of strength he could muster, Mikado supported himself using the armrests of the sunchair he had passed out on and swung his legs to the side, planting his feet on the cooled concrete of the deck and leaning forward to drop his face into the palms of his hands. With a pained grunt he squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his fingers against his temples to administer a light massage, eventually also making his way to the forehead and eyes before letting his weary arms fall to his lap. Finally, he looked up at the sunbathed city and not a moment later noticed the light summer breeze which softly cooled his face and barely moved any strands of his hair as it glided through.

As he inhaled a long breath, all the sounds that surrounded the drowsy boy seemed to slow before halting completely, leaving only traces of a pleasant, unearthly silence. It was as if, for that moment, he could feel no pain and could find no worry. That is, until his eyes widened after a hard realization which effortlessly broke him from the trance. A million thoughts, feelings, and possibilities all rolled into his mind as he recollected exactly what day it was. Fighting through the unyielding discomfort delivered by the hangover, Mikado leaned over, looking frantically around and under his chair until he found his phone lying face down on the ground next to him. With haste, he picked it up and let some minor relief wash over him when he noticed that the screen wasn't cracked. Waking the device with a click of the home button, his lock screen read 9:02 AM.

…On a school day.

"No…," he muttered to himself, getting up and swiftly making for the sliding glass door which led into Masaomi's and Saki's apartment, "oh no, no, no."

The door rolled shut behind him when he passed through it, abruptly cutting out the peaceful ambience of the outdoors as he made a beeline for the couch that his classmate was sprawled out on, fast asleep.

"Anri. Anri!" He urged as he lightly and quickly tapped her shoulder. It took a few tries until the girl finally awoke into her own disorienting stupor of confusion accompanied by a sheer pain similar to Mikado's. Through blurry eyes, she could barely make out the image of the boy looking at her with hushed urgency. Sensing this emotion, she clumsily got herself together, reaching onto the table next to the couch to retrieve her glasses.

"Mikado, what is it?" she asked tiredly as she slipped the spectacles on, feeling the cold of the metal rest on the tops of her ears.

"Anri, we're late, we have school," he said in hurried response, to which the girl's once placid face dropped like a brick.

"Wh-what time is it?"

"It's 9. If we hurry though, we can probably make it there before second quarter," the boy replied.

"It's 9!?" Anri yelped worriedly as her conscience proceeded to fill her mind with distress and regret. What a way to start the day.

"Yeah, we gotta go. I'll be right back, let's leave in like 5 minutes." Mikado declared, turning toward the hallway next to the kitchen.

"Ok. Ok," she replied from her place on the couch, sitting up and running a hand through her messed up hair like the brush she wished she had at this very moment. Giving Anri some space to get ready, Mikado continued to hurriedly pace toward the bathroom, shutting the door behind him once he entered. After marveling for a second at the simple beauty of the space for the third time, he flipped on the sink, and splashed his face with hands cupped together in a makeshift bowl of cold water. He watched in the mirror for a moment, exhaling softly through his nose as the water he'd applied soaked into his eyelashes and his pores. After blinking some of the water away, he dried off with a fresh towel before exiting and heading back to the living room to meet again with his classmate, whom he found occupied looking at her own somewhat tattered reflection in the glass of the sliding door that Mikado had bolted through earlier.

"Almost ready?" the boy inquired.

"Yeah, should be good to go, this is the best it's gonna get for today I think."

"Alright, let's hurry," Mikado finished, whipping around to make for the door but instead jumping backward in shock when he unexpectedly found Masaomi's face mere inches from his own.

"Hurry?" he yawned through the blonde bangs which fell haphazardly over his face, "Hurry where?"

"Uh-it, it's a school day for us Masaomi, remember?" Mikado replied stressfully as his friend stretched his arms out to the sides to wake up a bit more.

"Hm," the blonde lazily mumbled through his half-lidded eyes, pausing before looking down and reaching out to stick his hand into Mikado's jacket and inside the breast pocket which was stitched just behind the lapel. Bemused yet curious, Anri watched in the background as Masaomi withdrew his hand after a second of digging around, bringing Mikado's phone up to his face with a pause and revealing to the raven that he had it pinched between two fingers.

"This'll only take a sec," the blonde said as he flipped the phone around, letting it coolly fall into one hand before running the other hand through his hair to swipe it from his face. Mikado could only stare quizzically as he began to hear the tones that the numbers on the dial pad made when his friend pressed them.

"Masaomi…what are you doing?" he asked hesitantly with a cocked brow as he watched the other bring the cell phone up to his ear and clear his throat.

"Yeah, hi. I'm calling on behalf of a couple students," the blonde spoke into the device, prompting Mikado's once inquisitive eyes to fly open as he stepped toward him with a short gasp. Masaomi reacted to this with a swivel of his head in the opposite direction, positioning the phone teasingly out of the other boy's reach. In the same movement, he raised a hand at his friend with a single index finger pointed upward signaling him to hold on.

"Their names? Anri Sonohara and Mikado Ryuugamine. Hey listen, they're not gonna be able to make it in today. They've been feeling just terrible all throughout the night and into this morning," he said as Mikado facepalmed himself. He didn't want to admit it, and as best as he attempted to mask it, the raven surmised quickly that he could feel himself smiling.

"Uh huh," Masaomi said maturely as he turned to initiate a daring, steady line of eye contact with Mikado, making sure to also throw his signature mischievous grin into the mix. The schoolboy removed his hand from his face and let his shoulders drop as he met his friend's playful gaze with a look of acceptance that just beamed the phrase, ' _really?'_

"Yeah I doubt they'll be able to get out of bed for the rest of the day, it looks pretty bad. I was just about to get them both some water, they look like they need it. Yeah. They will. Thanks, bye."

Masaomi tapped the 'end call' button and looked up at Mikado and then to Anri before wordlessly flipping the lapel of Mikado's jacket out again. Sliding the raven's phone back into the same pocket from whence it came, Masaomi patted it twice with a satisfied smirk once it dropped in.

"Happy Friday. Now, who needs pain killers!" the blonde exclaimed, walking past a comically speechless Mikado and over to the kitchen counter. Anri giggled from behind Mikado as the schoolboy lightly sighed through the ghost of a laugh.

"It's Thursday, Masaomi…" the boy smiled, looking up toward the blonde who in response turned toward him with raised brows.

"Yeah, your fevers are pretty bad. Like, the four-day weekend kinda bad," the blonde winked back at Mikado, making a clicking sound with his tongue and flashing a canine through his devilish smirk. Turning his back again, the blonde resumed his walk to the kitchen counter as Mikado looked at Anri with a lazy shrug of the shoulders.

"Oh, also," Masaomi continued, popping an aspirin for his own headache and turning his head to see his friends settling comfortably back in the living room, "if you guys are hungry, when Saki wakes up we can head downstairs and get some breakfast. There's a dining hall down there that has a residential buffet every morning and they just bill us at the end of the month for it, so we can all feel free to dig in."

"You really know how to flip a day upside down, don't you." Mikado said toward him with a soft smile, to which the other boy stylishly spun around on his heels to face the two in the living room.

"Eh, I do my best," he beamed, underhandedly flicking the bottle of aspirin toward the unsuspecting schoolboy. Mikado reacted quickly, juggling the bottle with loose hands before finally grasping it.

"Thanks," he said, holding the bottle up for Masaomi to see and verify that he did in fact catch the thing. He and Anri shared a couple of the tiny pills to start the hangover healing process while constantly swearing that they'd Never. Drink. Again. It was definitely not something that the two of them did very often anyway. Or at all, really.

"I'll be right back guys," Masaomi said after a moment of thought, grabbing a few water bottles and tossing Mikado and Anri one each as well before turning to head back to the bedroom, "I just gotta check in on Saki. Usually her hangovers are a little more…high maintenance."

"Thanks," the other two said as they both began to gulp down the waters they were given. After a few healthy sips, Mikado lowered his, staring into space for a moment before placing the bottle down on the glass table in front of him and getting up to go outside onto the deck for some fresh air, and Anri to the bathroom for a clean start to the morning.

[Taro - _Hey Setton._ ]

[Setton - _Oh, hey Taro! What's up? You know we're in a private chat, we can use names xD._ ]

[Taro - _Not much, how are you? And oh right, right…my bad._ ]

[Setton - _No worries! Anyways, I'm good. Lots of boredom. Well, except for everything going on in the news. Crazy stuff…_ ]

[Taro - _…Yeah, that whole thing with Horada is beginning to surface in my mind more and more lately. I've been trying to stay passive toward it though, I have plenty to deal with as it is._ ]

[Setton - _Oh that's right! Kida's back in town I heard?_ ]

[Taro - _Wait, who'd you hear that from?_ ]

Mikado stared at the private conversation on the screen of his phone as his stomach tingled with mild unease. Just how fast did the news of Masaomi's homecoming spread? And who's the one spreading it?

With a sigh the boy began breathing deeply, taking in the city air from the deck of the apartment in an attempt to pacify the racing thoughts which burned through his mind hotter than the hangover. Not to say that the boy simply couldn't live with the idea that Masaomi wasn't being kept all to himself, but his overwhelming fear of he and Saki absconding on yet another year-long leave of absence due to the threat of danger overrode any semblance of reason he had concerning the subject.

[Setton - _I heard about it from a bunch of places. The Dollars Chat, word of mouth,…oh! And a flier I saw a little bit ago. I had no idea he was a DJ._ ]

"GUYS!" Mikado faintly heard Masaomi shout excitedly from inside the apartment, "I'M ON A FREAKING FLIER FOR IKEBUKURO GARDEN!"

Laughing and shaking his head, Mikado turned back to his phone.

[Taro - _Well, that's a relief._ ]

[Setton - _Oh really? Why's that?_ ]

[Taro - _Izaya knew about it not even an hour after Masaomi got back. I don't wanna overthink anything, but…]_

[Setton - D _id he say anything to you?_ ]

[Taro - _Just that he'd "hate to see something bad happen to him…" I'm scared, Celty. After what happened with Horada and the Yellow Scarves last year, I can't do this again._ ]

Mikado bit back the chills that threatened to rip down his spine when he couldn't help but remember the icy barrel of the gun which Horada had pressed against Masaomi's bloodied forehead. He was alone back then…and the image didn't sit well with Mikado's stomach when paired with Izaya's ominous words which echoed in the recesses of his mind.

[Setton - _Rest easy, Mikado. Try to relax._ ]

[Taro - _I'm sorry Celty, it's just difficult._ ]

[Setton - _I understand where you're coming from. But I will never let anything bad happen to him, I promise you._ ]

It was only then, after reading those words from the Black Rider herself that Mikado felt like it was all okay again. Like he could breathe again. He turned to look back into the living room to see the other three, including Saki, laughing together as they enjoyed a lazy Friday morning. Smiling brightly, Mikado felt his eyes soften dramatically as joy flooded his veins once again. Turning to his phone once more, he typed:

[Taro - _I can't thank you enough, Celty. If there's anything I can do to help, consider it done._ ]

Clicking the power button on the phone once, he heard the subtle shutter sound the phone regularly made when it went to sleep. Mikado slipped the phone back into his pocket and placed his hands widely on top of the deck wall before flicking his eyes upward to observe the rest of Ikebukuro, unmoving as he heard the door slide open a bit behind him.

"Hey, you hungry?" Saki asked through the space between the wall and door, prompting Mikado to turn toward her innocently. She looked back at him, taking notice of the sterling blue color that his eyes presented when the sun shot off his irises at the right angle. It was a feature that, to the girl in the doorway, perfectly completed the seemingly relieved and newly refreshed expression which radiated from the boy's face.

"I-" He started.

"You're starving, ok great," Saki concluded putting her hands together, "We're going downstairs in a couple minutes, so you might wanna get some shoes on," Saki said knowingly, signaling a finger toward Mikado's bare feet with a smirk. Mikado looked down as well for a second before blushing lightly and smiling back.

* * *

Dance music flooded the background of a fairly-sized social gathering at a downtown courtyard which was lined with all sorts of open bars, citizens clearly dressed to make their best impression, strings of lights, and bonfires surrounded by the brick foundation which formed the ground beneath them. Night had only just fallen on this day which had gifted the city with a perfect summer climate yet again. Grown men and women clad in casual nightlife attire brought energy to the warm scene which unfolded before the bartender's eyes, and letting himself kick back for the first time in a while, Shizuo Heiwajima tipped the martini glass in his hand backward, letting the remainder of his gin and vodka cocktail slither down his throat before taking a handkerchief out of his back pocket to wipe away the residue on his lips with a gentleman's finesse.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be _behind_ the bar?" A man standing next to a woman who seemed to be his girlfriend laughed ignorantly, to which the bodyguard cocked a casual brow upward.

"And you are…who exactly?" he replied coolly without a glance, signaling the bartender by holding his empty glass up. The other man looked to his girlfriend and then back to an expectant Shizuo, who slid his martini glass toward the bartender when he arrived.

"Another Vesper, please," the blonde said, to which the bartender nodded before pulling the vodka and gin from the shelf under the counter.

"Well? You do have a name, don't you?" the bodyguard prodded, facing the man blandly.

"Matsuko," he replied.

"Well Matsuko-san, care for a drink? Or perhaps you'd like one, miss..." the blonde trailed, turning to the woman charmingly after feeling her gaze pierce his glasses for a good minute.

"…Karaden," she replied curiously, returning Shizuo's gesture with a sly smile.

"Karaden…that's a lovely name. You seem to be a lucky man, Matsuko-san," Shizuo turned back to the man, who was beginning to eye him a little suspiciously.

"…Very," he said in return after a moment of observation, "please excuse us."

Shizuo traced their retreating path through his peripheral vision with a smirk. His actions failed to go unnoticed by Karaden however, who had briefly looked back to see the light reflecting off the bodyguard's glasses in such a way which made the lenses appear to be solid white panes of glass.

He turned back to the bar, reaching out to his side to retrieve the freshly prepared martini.

"They go low you go high, is that it?" Another man said, hopping off a bar stool and facing the blonde.

"Something like that," Shizuo replied, "nice to see you Shinra, it's been a minute."

"Likewise! How are things?" The scientist replied brightly, raising his glass and clinking it with Shizuo's before each took a sip.

"Eh, the usual. Feels like I'm just a fly on the wall these days for the most part," the blonde replied plainly, "how about yourself? And Celty?"

"Celty's doing fine, as am I. She's been feeling a little worried though, about the whole Horada thing from the news," Shizuo replied.

"I don't understand all the hype around that to be honest…the guy's just some loser who ran a gang full of teenagers for not even twenty-four hours. And on top of that, the Yellow Scarves don't even exist anymore," the bodyguard said indifferently, taking another sip of his drink and trying to block out the music to hear himself think.

"Yeah, that may be…But, something's just off about the whole thing though," Shinra returned.

"Off?"

"Yeah," he went on, "apparently the wardens have no clue as to how he escaped. No signs of forced departure, physical damage, sightings, nothing. It's like he just disappeared out of thin air."

Shizuo turned from his drink back to Shinra with an unworried expression as the sounds of the partygoers' conversations and dance music began to fade even more into the air around them.

"Nothing's magical, Shinra. Someone doesn't just disappear," he said.

"This is Ikebukuro," the scientist replied with a laugh, taking a sip of his mojito, "some people like turning into ghosts and some are content with throwing vending machines for 100 yards."

Shizuo paused at this, lowering his drink and briefly looking to Shinra for a moment before shifting his eyes forward again.

"115," he replied, forcing Shinra to smirk through his cocktail glass in reply.

"Well, please send my regards to Celty, and…tell her I said all is well," Shizuo said, downing the rest of his beverage and sliding the empty glass onto the bar with a 1000-Yen tip tucked underneath the base of it.

"Well, that's the thing, Shizuo," the other started, stopping the bodyguard in his tracks with his words as he himself placed his empty glass and tip onto the bar and looked once more to the blonde, "for her, it's really not well at all."

Shizuo cocked an eyebrow at the other man before turning to face him fully.

"Meaning?" he inquired expectantly.

"Well, she's been talking to that student from Raira lately, Mikado Ryuugamine. Ring any bells?"

"Somewhat, sounds familiar," the blonde replied.

"Yeahhh. So you see, according to Celty, the kid was approached by Izaya about this whole thing, and-"

Shinra stopped speaking at the sight and sound of the lenses attached to Shizuo's glasses suddenly cracking, and he immediately felt a dark, morbid aura explode from the silent bodyguard who stood only a few feet from him. The people around them also grew concerned at the sudden change in the once celebratory atmosphere. Shizuo was never one to hide his rage; after all, that's what he was locally famous for. After a fast minute, Shizuo calmed down and took off his glasses to breathe on them. Using his vest to wipe them dry, the blonde did his best to salvage whatever visibility the spectacles could still offer him.

"Sorry," he said casually into thin air as Shinra laughed nervously through pursed lips and the rest of the people at the bar gradually returned to their evenings, "Anyway, please finish your thought Shinra?"

"Yeah, so… _He Who Must Not Be Named_ -"

"Thank you," Shizuo interjected absently.

"Well, he apparently told Mikado that with everything going on in the news, he'd hate to see something bad happen to Masaomi Kida, his friend that just moved back in town after a while," Shinra finished.

"Yeah, I remember that kid...I almost got murdered by his gang, actually. Well, I guess the Scarves weren't _his_ anymore at that point," Shizuo said, sliding his hands into his pockets in thought.

"Well, now he's in the Dollars," Shinra said, earning a glance from the bodyguard.

"And they stick together, right?" he asked.

Shizuo sighed with acceptance and resolve, lighting a cigarette and hanging it out of the corner of his mouth.

"I'll keep an eye on Orihara. But I can't promise he'll be alive within the first ten seconds of my making eye contact with the bastard," Shizuo declared, to which Shinra's only reply was a smile and a nod. He turned to face the party going on in front of them, finally being able to enjoy the pounding music, smiles and laughter of the crowd.

"Now please tell Celty…all is well."

"Yeah, thanks. Will do."


	6. On Top of the World

**6\. On Top of the World**

* * *

The remainder of the extended weekend passed without any hesitance, as weekends always so painfully tended to do when they got booked solid with back to back fun. Now, as the early radiant sun ignited hundreds of colors across the sky on a warm Monday morning, Mikado found himself pacing the desolate hallways at Raira Academy as one of the first students arriving to begin the school day. He always was one to show up early so that he could wrap up any loose ends that he may have left behind from the previous week. Hell, even some of the teachers hadn't walked through the front door yet. So, partially illuminated by the natural sunlight which poured through the wooden blinds on one side of the hallway, the boy continued to make his way toward homeroom, only hearing the muffled sounds that his footsteps made as they creaked the floorboards below. There was a distinct reason why Mikado habitually went into school early...At times, spending his mornings at Raira felt more comforting than spending them in his own home. Something about the way the walls glistened with the orange tint of daybreak, the unrelenting chaos in his mind becoming quelled by the stillness of the world around him, and even those tiny particles of dust that his footsteps consistently kicked up as he walked. They would've gone unnoticed completely had the boy been wandering in a windowless space where the sunlight wasn't able to reveal them.

Reaching the end of the hall and turning right, Mikado entered the barren classroom which, like the hallway, was lit only by the soft warmth of the morning sun peeking through the blinds near his seat. His heels collided with the wooden floor as he made his way to the far side of the room, walking down an aisle of desks and finally sitting down at his own to begin unpacking his notes. It was at this time when the boy would typically unwind and wake up fully, sifting through his papers until he felt as organized as he needed to be. Tidiness was another thing that calmed him often – made him feel less worried and more in-control of what he had to do. But again, that was what it was like on a _typical_ morning.

This morning was…different. Mikado had never heard someone else approach the classroom this early before, not even a teacher. It piqued his curiosity as he lowered his papers from his eyesight and looked up toward the door, feeling his wrists stop on the hard, cold surface of the desk where he sat as he heard the footsteps draw nearer. For a moment, he hoped that it was just someone passing by, but he also already knew that this notion simply couldn't be the case; his classroom was the last door on the right in this hallway, so there was no mistaking the figure's destination after the noises crossed a certain threshold of distance.

Mikado raised his brows at the sight of a teenage boy who looked like he had absolutely no idea where he was going. He surmised that the student was about six inches shorter than he, and though it was hard to tell at first, Mikado realized that the other boy's hair was a dark shade of blue and his eyes beamed a chocolatey brown.

The boy stopped, standing still in the middle of the hall as he continued to look aimlessly around for a moment before peering into the classroom to find a lonely Mikado, who in turn quickly diverted his eye contact toward anything other than he. Responding in an effort to diffuse the rising awkwardness that the raven was all too obviously trying to avoid, the blue-haired boy entered the room but proceeded no further than the doorway as he took a position leaning up against it with a single hand holding on to his backpack.

"Uh, hey. Is this 2c?" He asked with an efforted casual tone, to which Mikado looked back toward the brown eyed teenager responsively with an uncertain yet kind gaze.

"Yeah, this is it," he replied, making the other smile and drop his shoulders in relief as he exhaled positively.

"Oh thank god, this place is a maze," the boy remarked, walking over to a calmly vigilant Mikado and extending a hand outward.

"Aoba Kuronuma, I'm the new kid. Nice to meet you," he grinned. Mikado smiled after a second, returning the handshake.

"Mikado Ryuugamine," he replied hesitantly, but nevertheless optimistically.

"Wait…Mikado? I _know_ I've heard your name somewhere before…" Aoba started in a mystified tone before suddenly flashing an expression of pure astonishment.

"No way…You're the admin, right?" He said, feeling shock take over his temperament.

At this, Mikado wrinkled his brow in mild confusion.

"What's the admin?" he replied cautiously, making Aoba laugh and throw his arms out in a shrug.

"Oh come on, you know. You're the leader of the Dollars!" he blurted out a little too loud for Mikado's comfort. In fact, even with nobody standing remotely near the vicinity of the classroom they were in, the raven's body was consumed with adrenaline and his alertness upstretched to defcon one. He immediately got up and paced toward the door to the room, promptly shutting it before turning back toward a confused and mildly nervous Aoba.

"How do you know about that?" Mikado hushed through his hyper-aware facial expression, walking back to Aoba with a concerned look etched upon his once docile face.

"I-I was there, at the courtyard," Kuronuma said nervously in reaction to Mikado's visually elevated stress level, "Around a year ago, you mobilized us. I remember seeing you send the text right before I got it," he finished, hoping his words wouldn't set Mikado off any further than they apparently already did.

Although Aoba expected the worst, the raven didn't flinch, nor did he show any signs of retaliating negatively. He only stared into the other's eyes, and though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, something about the blue-haired boy bestowed unto Mikado a feeling of security. An instinct that told him Aoba could be trusted with something like this. It puzzled Mikado as to how and why he felt this way, especially considering that they had met only minutes before…But hey, going with his gut has gotten him _this_ far – that must be worth something.

Mikado breathed and nodded to himself in front of Aoba, who remained ensnared in anticipation for one long moment.

"I won't tell anyone," the blue-haired boy said resolutely through the cloud of silence, earning an almost vulnerable yet venerable look from Mikado.

"I promise," He finished.

At this, Mikado's face fell into a gentle smile and then a humble blush when Aoba topped off his pledge with a soldier's salute and a determined smirk.

"You don't have to do that," Mikado said to him, which caught the other off guard a bit as he slowly complied to the leader's reaction, withdrawing the pointed hand from his forehead with an enlightened and gradual widening of his eyes.

"Besides," Mikado went on, placing his right hand on the other's shoulder firmly, "We're all in this together, aren't we?"

Aoba looked to the hand on his shoulder with the ghost of an amazed child's expression on his face before turning to face the leader with a genuine smile.

"Yeah, for sure," he said, smirking.

Mikado lowered his hand from the boy's shoulder and walked past him to take his seat once again, beginning to leaf through the notes he kept inside a manila folder for class representative work.

"So…uh, are there any seats open?" Aoba said, turning around to look at Mikado again with a comically lost expression etched upon his sun-soaked face.

"Oh yeah! Right here actually," he replied, signaling to the desk directly next to his own. Aoba's face lit up even brighter than the morning sun that bounced off the boy's tanned skin through the blinds.

"Oh no way, this is gonna be so cool!" he exclaimed, parking himself in the seat next to the leader.

"Well this is the _last_ thing I expected to happen this morning," he finished with a grin, forcing a shift of Mikado's eyes toward the newfound exuberant teenager, and a bright smile of his own.

* * *

"I've been meaning to talk with you," the blonde said accidentally a bit too seriously as he looked up across the table toward the bandana-clad young man, "I just…"

"Damn, Kida. You don't have to lay it on thick or anything, there's nothing to be all dramatic about you know," Kadota interjected, inserting a small chuckle to accent his light-hearted smirk.

"I-I know!" the other replied, bringing his hands up and shaking them rapidly to diffuse any incorrect notion his friend may have misinterpreted, "I just really don't know how to thank you. For all of this, I mean," he finished, waving his hands around in the general air above him.

"What, the diner? Dude it's not like I built this place, I just suggested it," Kyouhei said, fully aiming to make fun and push buttons much to Masaomi's admittedly nonexistent irritation.

"Don't be a dick," Kida laughed, forking at his food and finding himself unable to either look up at Kadota nor stop smiling.

Kyouhei snickered at Masaomi's flustered response for a bit before the blonde looked back up, putting his fork down onto the napkin next to his plate.

"Really though, this opportunity…it's a dream bigger than I thought I'd ever reach, and for that I wanna thank you. Giving the owner of The Garden my name was in no way a small kindness," the blonde said sincerely.

"Nah, you don't have to thank me. Everyone's missed seeing you around anyways, including me. This place got so dull after you and Saki left, so I thought the chance fitting for you guys to make a grand return."

Kida shrugged humbly and smiled at the words Kadota said to him. During their time away, never would he have thought that he wasn't at least frowned upon around Ikebukuro, let alone actually _missed_ by everyone. His smile grew even livelier when he realized that every day so far back in the city seemed to prove him wrong again and again.

"Hm. I'm a lucky guy I guess," Kida said, breaking out of his thoughts, "I honestly thought you guys woulda hated seeing my face around here again."

Kadota froze for a moment, holding a confused expression.

"Uh…hated to…what?" he laughed, "What kinda shit is that! Of course we all missed you!"

"Well I just never thought you guys would take my abandoning of this city lightly. I never wanted it to become personal, I just needed to get the fuck out for a minute after everything that happened. That's reasonable, isn't it?"

"Kida, you were on the phone with the guy who broke Saki's legs literally _as_ he was doing it, and on top of that, even the Yellow Scarves almost shot you in the head. Screw being mad that you left, we all just couldn't be happier that you actually ended up coming back," Kadota reasoned, watching Masaomi think on it for a while. To Kyouhei, it almost seemed as if the blonde never stopped blaming himself, even when there was nobody to blame. For any of it.

"Well, that's all in the past now. Both me and Saki are here to stay so tell everyone to start getting used to it, will ya?" Kida said finally, taking a sip of the water in front of him.

"Bet on it," Kadota said, "The crew misses you too, you should come over to our spot sometime."

"I'm down," Kida replied immediately, "and this time _I'll_ bring the insanely expensive Sake."

"Oh! You liked it?" Kadota asked.

"Psh. Is that a question? I inhaled the stuff. So did Saki, and you know how she is," Kida laughed.

"Where is she, anyway?" Kadota inquired, jabbing a fork into his pancakes.

"Hm? Oh, she's with Anri. Sonohara. You remember her, right?" Masaomi inquired, watching his old friend mull the name over.

"Rings a bell. Was she the dark haired one? Kinda nervous all the time? Big-"

"Huge boobs? Yep, that's her." Kida finished.

"Yeah I remember now. When did they meet? I had no idea they knew each other," Kadota continued.

"They got wasted on that Saki and ended up really hitting it off. Go figure," Kida answered with a laugh before eating some of his French toast.

"So you never told me," Kida started after a light moment of silence. "How did you get me this gig at The Garden in the first place again? You said you knew the guy?"

"Yeah, there really wasn't much to it," Kyouhei answered, "He called me up, asked if I knew anybody, I knew you. Everyone wanted you back, so I said your name. Next thing I know I'm calling you, and now here we are."

Kida paused for a moment, furrowing his brow a bit at the story.

"That's seriously it?" he asked, to which Kadota looked up from his food and darted his eyes in a couple different directions absently.

"Uhhhh, yeah. That's it," he finished, looking toward the blonde and clearly indicating that there really wasn't anything else to be said regarding the story. It was the whole truth.

Kida continued to look a little mixed up. It's hard enough as it is to get into the music industry in Tokyo with all the artists who were running in it right now. And here he was, first gig ever and it was at the biggest, most extravagant nightclub in town?

"No complaints here," Masaomi remarked positively, "I guess it pays to have friends in high places, huh."

Kadota raised his glass to that, smiling, "Damn right it does man, I hope you're ready to be on top of the world."

Kida grinned, heroically raising his glass to meet Kadota's, causing a resounding clink sound to chime on impact.

* * *

The stench of burnt rubber and gasoline flooded the inside of a black van which continued to speed upward on Ikebukuro's Metropolitan Expressway, weaving its way through the northbound traffic which travelled too slowly for the driver's liking. Metal crates rattled inside the vehicle with every bump they hit, and that alone almost generated enough sound to block out the cold noises of mechanical fastening which came from the men inside as they loaded steel magazines into their sidearms and submachine guns, screwing silencers onto the barrels soon after.

"I'm digging the new gear already," one of the lankier men commented through the black bandana which covered his face as he looked up and down the weapon in his grasp, "Boss set us up real good."

"Sticks and stones Taika," another man sitting in the back corner of the van replied through nearly identical facial attire as he pulled the powered hammer of his submachine gun backward until it clicked, "Sticks…and…stones."

Five men occupied the van, including the driver. All wore clothing nearly identical in color and tactical in grade, complete with black combat boots and signature black bandanas covering the lower halves of their faces. Each of the bandanas were different, every one of them displaying something unique over the mouth area to segregate the group into their own individual personas. The man who'd spoken from the back corner of the van wore a particularly disturbing pattern on his mask, one depicting the bottom half of a demonic skull.

"Yasuo, you loaded the dummy feeds onto the cameras?" He spoke again.

"Taken care of," the driver replied gruffly.

"Alright, let's do this," the skulled man finished.

Together they each grabbed a handle that was bolted to the ceiling of the vehicle to firmly stand up as the van made its last turns before finally stopping at its destination. The men strapped their weapons into their holsters and opened the back door of the van to file out in a two-by-two formation, stepping onto the gravel of the back lot on which they had parked. The driver stayed put in his seat as he flipped a couple switches on the dashboard, bringing the men's vest cameras online and displaying them on a medium-sized screen which sat atop the switches.

Outside, the group made their way to the back door of the service center and clipped the six-digit lock off the door, covertly proceeding inside in an organized fashion with their silenced weapons at the ready. The driver watched each of the men's camera feeds from the van, observing the environment as they made their way cautiously down a harshly-lit hallway which reminded the men of a hospital. Looking away from the vest-cams, Yasuo opened a thick laptop on the center console between the front seats of the van and began to initialize a few programs.

Meanwhile, the four men continued to check their corners for threats and evaluate every room in their path in search of their objective. At the end of the hall and to the left began another corridor inhabited by a lone security guard who obliviously paced in the opposite direction of the intruders. Covered by the other three, one of the men – Taika, snuck up and swiftly wrapped an arm around the guard's head, forcefully jamming a chloroform-soaked rag against his face.

"Shhhh," He whispered as the chemical floated into the guard's orifices, promptly making him pass out with little resistance. After ensuring the other's unresponsiveness, Taika carefully dragged the guard into one of the empty rooms they had searched seconds before and hid him before taking the keycard off his belt and regrouping back out in the hall.

"Got a present for ya," he said before casually flicking the keycard toward the skull-clad man who caught it with ease.

"Not bad at all," he replied with a sharp smirk hidden behind his demonic bandana. Signaling the others to continue forward with a wave of his handgun, the leader positioned himself behind the other three to calculate their next move as they paced through the narrow space which stretched before them.

"That's it. Over there," he hushed, pointing a hand toward a heavily bolted door which stood just a few rooms up the hall and to the right from their position. Bringing an arm up to his face, the man clicked a button on the side of a small device on his wrist.

"Yasuo, are we ready for the breach?" he spoke.

"Locked and loaded," the driver replied, hands moving furiously over the keys of his laptop.

"Just patch me in," the leader heard through the communicator as Yasuo finished his request. He looked toward one of the men and nodded, to which the operative approached the door and withdrew a wire sticking out from a metal box on his waist.

With haste, the man flipped a panel on the door's interface and connected the second end of the wire into it.

"That's it, just give me a sec…" Yasuo chimed from the skulled man's wrist communicator. Peering down the hall, the leader could just barely make out the beginnings of a shadow approaching from another room before clicking his wrist again.

"Yasuo this better be quick," he hissed.

"Just one more thing…aaaaaaand ok you're in," the driver replied, and no sooner did a green light flash on the door's interface as the heavy locks could be heard disengaging.

The leader was the first to enter, looking up to witness the sight of a uniformed man swiveling around in an office chair with an alerted expression on his face. With a fast movement of his arm, the leader drew his silenced handgun and fired a round between the guard's eyes, breathing with no remorse as the man's blood sprayed backward, painting a section of the wall behind him red. The other three quickly filed into the room as well, a couple of them becoming still at the sight of what had unfolded in front of them just seconds earlier. The leader swiveled his head toward them after one man shut the door behind the group.

"Oh, cry about it," the man spat sarcastically before turning around and lifting his wrist once again as he walked past the dead body and toward a rack of server towers which lined the wall.

"Which one is it Yasuo," he said through the device.

"Should be the hard drive in port D-47," he responded nearly instantly.

Hearing this, the man walked toward the middle of the server wall and knelt, enduring the first moment of absolute concentrated silence they've had thus far on their endeavor. Examining all the tiny pulsing lights on the machines in front of him, he inserted the keycard into the server and brought his hand toward the eject switch of unit D-47 and pressed it, witnessing a card-sized piece of metal protrude from the area to his immediate left.

"We got it," he confirmed as he took the hard drive from the server and pocketed it before signaling for the others to begin moving out of the facility and back to the van outside. They complied immediately, exiting the room cautiously as to not alert any more personnel. The skull-clad man stayed behind for a moment, scrolling his gaze over toward the man he'd shot. After a moment of staring at the corpse in thought, the leader paced over to the wall which stood stained with fresh blood and raised a finger toward it.

Squinting his eyes in mild satisfaction, the man ran his index finger through the viscous substance, scribbling the words _Kuroi Tenshi_ in menacingly unkempt kanji.

Once completed, he stepped back to gaze upon his sinister work of art before muttering to himself, "The Black Angels strike at last…"

"Iizumi," Taika spoke into the room from the doorway, to which the leader turned around in acknowledgement, "we gotta go."

"Yes, I know," He replied, grabbing his skull bandana by the brim and pulling it down to reveal his scarred face before walking to the door and following Taika out into the hall to join the others headed back to the van.

"It's about time this city met a fresh face, Taika," he decreed with an ominous grin, "And we're gonna give it to 'em."

Taika replicated Iizumi's sinister expression with amusement as they proceeded out the back door from whence they came, jumping into the back of the van and slamming the doors shut behind them.

"Let's go Yasuo, I wanna get this to Horada within the hour," Iizumi commanded as he walked through the other men and took his seat in the corner.

"On it," the driver replied robotically as the remaining operatives wordlessly sat down in the back of the van.

The city began to darken as the vehicle rolled out of the datacenter complex and made for the southbound entrance to the Metropolitan Expressway. And as the sun sunk under Ikebukuro's broad horizon, the remaining rays of light which still beamed through the clouds formed an unmistakable pathway of luminescence that could only be described as exactly the name it was given by the people of the world.

The gateway to heaven.


	7. Forever

**7\. Forever**

* * *

"We will not ignore the unmistakable fact...that united we stand, and divided we fall…" Horada charismatically whispered to himself, rehearsing quietly as he paced the floor of the closed back room of the colorless chapel, reading from the papers in his hand and hearing the creaks of the floorboards beneath him before being interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," he instructed absently and underhandedly as he maintained his focus on the speech in his rough grasp. The old wooden door scraped open to reveal Iizumi's scarred face, and the man proceeded inside the old office. Horada halted his pacing and lowered his papers, turning his head toward the other silently and expectantly.

Iizumi breathed as he shut the door behind him and dug a hand inside one of the side pockets on his tactical vest, maintaining the leader's quiet interest as he withdrew the piece of hardware they had stolen from one of the city's internet datacenters just a half-hour before. Holding it up at face level from across the room, Iizumi made his way across the room and to Horada's desk, placing the hard drive firmly on its surface. The leader traced the Iizumi's movements, wordlessly examining the item that had been delivered as an ominous smile grew on his face.

"Well done," he said to the operative, turning his gaze to take interest in the gift which had been presented to him, "I'm glad I trusted the right man to get this into our hands."

"No better decision could have been made," Iizumi replied confidently, rectifying his posture to stand with as much authority as he could muster as he faced the leader. Horada turned toward him again in response, nodding after a moment before making his way closer toward his desk to examine the mysterious hardware with his own eyes.

"We'll have to get Yasuo on this right away…I want the list cracked as soon as possible so that we can begin," The leader commented as his half-lit gaze remained fixed on the piece of metal.

"Agreed. I'll give the order," Iizumi replied assuredly from the shadows as Horada moved out from behind his desk with the piece of metal in hand, crossing the floor in front of his right-hand-man.

"Soon this despicable city will know fear," Horada said, making Iizumi smirk deviously in response.

"And once this list is extracted," he continued, brandishing the hard drive through the air between their faces, "we will begin to make our vision a reality, and we will start with everyone on it. I assure you, Iizumi...there will be nowhere left to hide."

Horada stepped behind his desk once again after his statements, placing the hardware back on its surface and positioning his calloused hands widely on the wood to join it before finally looking back up at his accomplice and exhaling slowly through the dust and the thick stench of despair.

"Not even for the Dollars."

* * *

Aoba watched as Mikado nursed his strawberry tea cross-legged on the floor from a few feet away. In observation, the blue-haired boy replicated his action politely, taking a sip of his own piping-hot tea from the cup that Mikado had happily provided him with after they arrived back at his home. Together they sat on the raven's floor, just talking ever since they were let out of school on the very same day they had met. They'd taken a quick liking to each other at Raira, and their extensive and genuinely friendly interaction hugely sufficed for Mikado to feel comfortable inviting him over to spend some more time getting to know each other. Usually right after meeting someone, it took a few exchanges of healthy conversation for him to feel that way about anybody, but Aoba however had no problem digging himself his own spot in that privilege from day one.

"So you set out to make a real difference, is that it?" the blue-haired boy asked, to which Mikado looked up at him from his tea with a happy expression.

"I just thought that with how dark the world was at the time, someone could step up and become a beacon of light," Mikado replied wisely with a smile, "And that eventually we could all brighten this world together. Everyone working as one."

Aoba listened in amazement as if he were speaking with a celebrity he'd admired since he was 5.

"And as far as I've seen, the Dollars have done exactly that. The Blue Squares, the Yellow Scarves, all the color gangs are gone and now the city is a better place…Yet we're still here, aren't we?" The raven finished with a light smirk.

"Yeah, you're right," Aoba replied with a calm expression, "It's almost as if we're the guardians of the city. Ever present yet hidden…benevolent yet mighty."

Mikado nodded with a smile of confirmation, agreeing with the other's remarks with every fiber of his being. He began to realize the true extent to which his vision of the Dollars had spread like wildfire across all its members, old and new.

"Yes, you're exactly right!" Mikado laughed in excitement before settling himself and continuing, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Aoba furrowed a brow before complying, "Yeah, anything!"

"Why did you join?" Mikado inquired, watching as Aoba's face contorted to one of surprise for a split second before returning to normal. The behavior did not go unnoticed by the raven, but he likewise did not question his habit of asking the questions which sometimes caught people off guard.

"Well, a lot of reasons. But if I were to put it into words, I joined because I think I'm just like you, Mikado," the blue-haired boy replied simply, in turn catching Mikado off guard before continuing, "I believed in what we could all do together. I believed that the world could become a better place if only we wanted it to. The Dollars gave me a voice, as it has for so many others…and together, our voice can move mountains."

Mikado stared fully engulfed in mystifying awe at the younger boy's exceptionally passionate response. It almost brought a tear to his eye that it seemed his own good will had traversed the mentalities of every member of the group which he had founded with zero expectations of what it would grow to become.

Mikado lowered his tea to the floor in front of him and brought a sleeve up to wipe at his eyes before they got a chance to cloud up, a feeling that he had absolutely felt approaching from the moment Aoba finished his thought.

"Uh, d-did I say something wrong?" Aoba asked concernedly as he watched the leader dry his face for a very brief second.

"Oh," Mikado laughed, lowering his arm and lifting his tea to his lips for another sip, "No Aoba, you didn't. I'm just beginning to think…I never thought it would get this far. The Dollars, I mean."

Aoba looked at him with a heartfelt gaze as he absorbed the raw yet subtle emotion that Mikado let slip into the air around them.

"I couldn't be happier…and it's all thanks to each and every one of you," he continued, "I can't thank you enough for showing me that," he finished fondly, leaving a moment to reflect on all that was said before taking their now empty ceramic teacups into his hands and standing up, feeling Aoba's gaze follow him upward from his spot on the floor.

"As long as the Dollars has members like you, I have no doubt…we'll exist forever," Mikado declared quietly before walking back to the kitchen counter behind the living room's half-wall to refill their teas.

Aoba traced Mikado's movements as he watched the raven's back retreat to the other section of the room, and though the younger boy never took his gaze from the leader, he finally let his eyes soften as the inspired smile he once held very slowly fell until his face held an expression of deep, almost morose thought.

* * *

"I will, for the rest of my life, never know _anyone_ with a bigger collection of manga than you two," Kida said from his baffled trance, eliciting a visually evident burst of confidence from both Erika and Walker as they shoved a bunch of books into their already loaded backpacks which seemed to burst at the stitching. They grinned widely with pride at their notoriously massive stockpile of literature which had apparently thrown their old friend for a loop, not that the reaction was unexpected to begin with by anyone who knew them.

"I know, right!?" They exclaimed in unison, unable to shapeshift their faces into any expression short of two ecstatic smiles, "I mean who else keeps thirty copies of all the good ones?"

"Uhm…" the blonde laughed awkwardly and airily, "besides a bookstore?"

"Ok guys," Saburo cut in from a recliner in the corner of the room, "I think Kida's seen enough for now, don't you think?"

"Oh no, no," Walker challenged with a mischievous grin, "we've just barely scratched the surface as a matter of fact."

Kyouhei and Saburo exchanged looks before looking at Kida again, who was sitting in a bean bag chair in the middle of the room holding an increasingly distressed appearance which silently pleaded for someone to rescue him from the duo's merciless onslaught of manga-sharing.

"It's gotta be good to be back, eh Kida?" Kyouhei laughed as the blonde's left eye twitched jokingly, at which everyone chuckled in mild amusement.

"Oh yeah guys, it is," Masaomi smiled through lightheartedly gritted teeth before laughing it all off and returning his appearance to normal, "I'm digging the new place. It's a perfect hangout spot," he finished.

"Heh, thanks," Kadota smirked with satisfaction along with the three others, "Picked it out ourselves. After a ton of looking around, anyway."

"Forget this though, _your_ place has to be the bomb, man," Saburo suggested, to which the blonde turned his head toward him, trying his best to diffuse the hype and awe that was growing around his penthouse residence at the nightclub-hotel.

"Well thank Kyouhei, he's the one that made it happen," the blonde said, redirecting views toward the bandana-clad man sitting on the couch.

"In fact, you guys are gonna have to see it one of these days," Kida commented, "It's fucking nuts."

"Yeah, we do," Erika replied on top of everyone else's excited expressions, "When's your first show, anyway? Maybe we could all come up before or after that!"

Masaomi gave the suggestion some thought. Come to think of it, even he hadn't had much time to think about his performance schedule in the midst of everything that's happened from the moment he stepped off the train up to now.

"It's this Friday! I definitely want you guys to come through for it. Everyone's gonna be there," he replied excitedly, "We can party it up in the penthouse, too."

Everyone's expressions lit up at the suggestion, so much that a verbal acceptance of the invitation was not needed in any way.

"I'll take your priceless faces as a yes?" the blonde asked cunningly, his eyes darting around the room in wild anticipation as he flashed a toothy grin.

"You'll take that as a definite," Saburo said, to which everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan," Kida declared positively before lifting himself from the bean bag, "Well, speaking of which, I gotta head home. Saki's probably back by now," he said, pulling his hoodie down past his waistline as he stood.

"Alright, sounds good! Tell her we said hi," Walker said happily as Kida returned the request with a smile and a nod.

"I'll see you guys soon!" the blonde waved backhandedly as he exited through the front door of his old crew's new ground-level apartment. Hearing the door click shut behind him, the blonde took a breath and looked up at the cloudless sky, which was saturated with the light that shone from a streetlamp he found himself standing under at this hour of nightfall. He removed his phone from his pocket and made a hard right, walking into shadow as he started down the sidewalk heading into town and toward the Sunshine 60 district where he lived.

[Hey, you back yet?]

The blonde wrote before clicking the blue send button on the touch screen. He looked up, admiring the city lights he had missed dearly and felt as though they entranced him immediately with their soft and omnipresent glow. As he walked the streets he once ruled, Masaomi could have gone for miles before noticing that he'd walked off course. The only thing which reminded him of his destination after a while was the vibration which shook his pocket, promptly pulling his subconscious back into reality.

[Yeah, just got back :)] Saki replied, the backlit text of the message reflecting off the blonde's pupils through strands of hair.

[Ok, on my way now] he wrote back.

With that, Masaomi slipped the phone back into his pocket, igniting a newborn smile on his face as he envisioned the one he loved waiting for him at home. He could feel himself moving at an involuntarily faster pace now too, a phenomenon which continued all the way into his residential district and up the stairs of the Ikebukuro Garden Hotel. Shortly after entering the lobby rotunda, he boarded the elevator which rode up to floor 47.

The door to their penthouse apartment opened, letting the light from the hallway flood through the opening and inside the otherwise dimmed space. Curious as to why the area was dark, Masaomi closed the door, entering the living room which, like the rest of the apartment, was illuminated only by a few candles as well as dimmed lightbulbs which hung from the modern chandeliers in both the kitchen and the living room.

"Saki?" he called out, and grew a quizzical look when he didn't hear a response after a little while.

"Uh…Saki!" He repeated, this time suddenly hearing faded music come on from the stereo in the living room. He looked backward at it, now officially lost on what was happening inside his own home as he walked over to the speakers and noticed an iPad hooked up to them with Spotify playing some of his favorite calmer music.

"What in the-"

"Masaomi?"

The blonde whirled around at the voice which rang out softly from the hallway and he froze immediately as time slowed to a near complete halt. There she was, the girl he'd fallen in love with…and there she stood, elegantly dressed in a beautiful white, semi-opaque nightgown with her charcoal hair done up as wildly as the boy's heart began to burn at that moment. She took slow steps toward him, knowing perfectly well that her sharp gaze had effortlessly captivated him and arrested his senses, rendering him inescapably motionless at the sight of her angelic advent.

His jaw hung open slightly as he felt his stillness and his inability to even blink, the sensation only growing stronger with each step that she took toward him.

Finally arriving directly in front of him, Saki stretched her arms out wordlessly, placing her gentle hands on Masaomi's tensed shoulders. The blonde couldn't describe the numbness he felt at the spots where her hands made contact. His senses remained blinded by the thoughts which seemed to race through his mind tirelessly, yet emanate peace and tranquility at the same time. His golden eyes searched her silver ones for an answer, and it was only when her hands slid from his shoulders and joined each other at the back of his neck when the boy began to tremble, feeling his heart race and his breathing shiver.

She blinked slowly at him, and the blonde willed himself to move just enough to softly bring a hand up to catch her chin between a few tender fingers and his thumb. His breathing steadied as he drew nearer ever cautiously, using the index finger under her chin to tilt her face upward toward his own.

Hypnotic silence consumed them as the flames of their candles pulsed warm light against the walls and the burning of their souls heated the atmosphere in which they lived. The city lights outside bounced off Masaomi's golden irises, sparking a wondrous gaze from Saki's steel ones before their faces tilted to opposite sides gradually, and drifted closer until their lips parted to join together lovingly in a moment of unyielding passion.

Their breathing could be heard as they inhaled through the nose, finding themselves unwilling and unable to break the contact that each had ensnared the other in. Saki's hands eventually found Masaomi's cheeks as the blonde's own fingers slid downward and planted themselves on her hips. Their tongues danced elegantly, united in perfect harmony while slow and otherworldly piano filled the world around them with an emotion thought only to exist in dreams.

After a while, the two broke their kiss and closed their eyes as they locked foreheads and stood still, existing only in each other's embrace for a long moment, rocking back and forth from side to side.

"…I love you," Masaomi whispered into her ear before nibbling at it affectionately. He could hear a faint, short gasp escape her throat at the sensation before she reciprocated the words in a soothing whisper, tucking her head into his chest to rest against his beating heart.

Masaomi's eyelids fell delicately halfway as he placed a caring hand on the back of her head with an endearing smile. There he kept her safe in his arms, where he'd refuse to ever let go. After a moment, Saki raised her head to meet his tender yet piercing eyes once more, beginning to feel vulnerable herself simply by looking into his youthful face.

"Masaomi," she began, finding and squeezing one of his hands firmly through tightly laced fingers. The blonde swiveled his head downward to face her, burying the lower half of his face in her hair from above to kiss the top of her head.

"We made the right decision…didn't we…" she whispered, to which Masaomi opened his eyes and stared tiredly forward for a moment before breathing in, catching Saki's immaculate scent in the air. He retracted his face from her hair to look at her smiling sweetly in his arms. The sight was too much for the boy to not duplicate the expression almost immediately and nod his head once. Words were far too beneath what he felt his answer needed to convey as they stood there, bathed in the moonlight which shone through the living room windows. For the former gang leader, sometimes silence alone was the only acceptable form of communication. Saki knew that all too well, though it took her a little while before she understood exactly.

There they embraced for a while longer, listening to the soft piano fill the air around them with the calm of a summer's night and the warmth of a beating heart. Masaomi closed his eyes, inhaling fresh air contently through his nose.

He just couldn't get enough of that scent which colored their sky. Looking down at her flawless face, Masaomi leant down and connected their lips sweetly once again, closing his eyes as he let their harmonic dance begin once again.

Though they could hear the music shifting from the side of the room to play something new, it only added to the moment which they felt could last forever simply with the aid of their entwined wills alone. The music entered their connected souls like a medicine, and their kiss intensified as each began to breathe more and more in answer to the speed at which their tongues collided. The voices of the song spoke to them as if they meant to communicate through the channel of pure emotion the two lovers had established out of something as modest as a glance from across a dimly lit, lone hallway.

" _Thank you,_

 _I'll say goodbye soon,_

 _Though it's the end of the world - don't blame yourself…_

 _And if it's true,_

 _I will surround you,_

 _And give life to a world…that's our own."_


	8. One Last Promise

**8\. One Last Promise**

* * *

Mikado sat on a pillow with his back against the living room wall, his head thrown backward and his knees tucked in his arms as he felt the moonlight touch his skin through the window and heard the cars outside his apartment roll by. Nothing but those few things filled his smallish world in the midst of the peaceful quiet, save for the constant light breathing and occasional whisper-level snoring which came from Aoba. He'd fallen into a deep slumber a couple hours after the two shared their evening tea, and took to using the corner of Mikado's floor-mattress as a pillow while the rest of his body draped onto the hardwood.

The raven smiled at Aoba's courtesy, although he felt that the boy easily could have used a little more of the mattress without causing him much irritation. Sparing not a moment more, Mikado placed his palms on either side of himself, planting them on the floor as his legs kicked out when his knees were suddenly freed from the restraint his arms had kept them under.

He leaned forward, balancing himself as he got to his feet before moving toward the sleeping student as quietly as he could.

 _He's gonna wake up with a stiff neck,_ Mikado thought concernedly as he got a better look at how the blue-haired boy's head was positioned on the corner of the mattress. Looking around the room, he spotted the closet door on the wall just next to the bathroom. He silently walked toward it, opened it, and reached up to grasp a spare blanket which had been neatly folded on one of the higher shelves.

Once back at Aoba's side, Mikado placed the rolled-up blanket on the floor next to the mattress and turned back to the sleeping other, promptly lacing his arms under his upper back and knees as carefully as he could to ensure that the boy didn't wake up. With care, the raven picked him up and rotated him before placing him fully on the mattress, covering him with the blanket and sliding a pillow underneath his head. Mikado let a small smile adorn his face when he saw Aoba sink into the bed through his unconsciousness. He could tell that his new friend felt infinitely more comfortable that way.

The raven watched Aoba sleep for a minute or so before his smile slowly faded away, replacing itself over time with a melancholic expression that one could only inherit from a low feeling of isolation. As he watched the boy breathe soundly, he attempted to synchronize his own breathing to the steadiness of the other's, hoping to feel the same semblance of calm that Aoba probably felt as he laid there dreaming. After hearing nothing but their tiny sounds along with the ticking of his wall clock for a while, the silence became deafening and time seemed to slow.

Mikado braced his hands on the wooden floor once again, and stood from his knees with little effort before pacing to the kitchen to get his phone. Flipping it over so that the screen faced him, he lifted the device off the counter and saw that he had no missed calls or texts. Finally, with a light bite of his lip Mikado carefully made his way out of the kitchen and across the living room to quietly open the front door of his apartment and walk outside. He promptly shut it slowly and noiselessly behind him.

Upon stepping outside and onto his stoop, the raven felt little to no change in the temperature from inside his home, but suddenly felt freed from the silence which just moments before had captured him in its clutches. It was relaxing at this time of night; The loveliness of the outdoors alone attracted the raven effortlessly, not to mention the summer climate that the city could enjoy even at two in the morning. He looked at the trees across the street as he lowered himself to sit on his stairs, taking notice of the late-night lights of the buildings that he could partially see past the clusters of leaves which softly swayed with the wind. Mikado laced his fingers together as he sat, thinking on and acknowledging the fact that he found himself harkening to nature almost every day now for the most random of reasons and at the most sporadic of times. It wasn't something that bothered him, rather it was something he'd grown accustomed to. Actually, it was a sixth sense that he wished everyone else could feel; Mikado only lived in the moment, and that was one thing that would always stand firm in this town if nothing else ever did.

His phone buzzed at his side, gaining both his attention and curiosity as he wondered who would be texting him at two in the morning. To his mysteriously elevated excitement, the message was from none other than his oldest blonde friend, Masaomi Kida. Bringing the device closer to his face, its light brightened Mikado's skin even more as he began to read the message preview from the lock screen.

[Hellllloo Mi-kado! So it's official, my first show is this Friday at Ikebukuro Garden. Everyone's coming to my place around 9:30 at night before showtime to party it up! I want you and Anri there early. Think you'd be able to make it?] He wrote.

Mikado grinned at the text which reflected off his dimly-lit eyes as he swiped right on the notification to open the messenger application and type his reply.

[You don't even have to ask, of course I'll be there!]

[Awesome! And Anri?] The blonde messaged.

Mikado's grin twitched briefly as he felt a facepalm-worthy moment wash over him. Had he really forgotten that Masaomi even mentioned Anri?

He shrugged the thought off and chalked the mishap up to the fact that it was currently the middle of the night and that his senses must be withered at best. His bright smile resumed as he began to type, knowing that his friend must be seeing the little three dots inside the animated speech cloud which resembled his active typing.

[I'll ask, but I'm sure she's gonna be excited for it.] He replied.

[Ok cool! Hey, maybe you'll get lucky ;P] Masaomi sent back, a message which in response Mikado chuckled out loud under his breath. Whenever he thought about it, he could never bring himself to realistically fathom the idea of being with Anri. They were already established as being too close of friends; the idea that it could get any better than what it already was felt almost impossible in the raven's mind. He looked back down at his phone and put his thumbs just over the screen, hesitating in thought for a second before finally typing back.

[I'm not typically very lucky, Masaomi.] Mikado smirked at his own remark, almost growing nervous when he didn't see any indication that his friend was typing back. After a brief moment of waiting, he went to click the power button to shut the screen off but immediately stopped himself when he suddenly saw the bubbles on the messenger app appear once again, much to his relief and satisfaction.

[Well you have _me_ , don't you? There's your proof right there!] He sent.

Mikado blinked at the response and quickly came to realize that he couldn't halt the inevitability of an unchained smile sprouting on his lips. He breathed out a laugh before placing his thumbs on the screen one more time, moving them from letter to letter with untamed finesse.

[I sure do :D]

The following morning arrived swiftly, much to Mikado's tired displeasure as he felt an irregular poking in his side which drew him from his dreams in a matter of seconds. His eyesight blurred as his lashes withdrew from his gaze and his pupils shrunk in reaction to the light which emerged from the morning environment. He grunted irritably when the poking failed to cease even after he began to visibly awaken. Shooting a sharp glare in the direction of where it was coming from, Mikado found the culprit within milliseconds and immediately wished he could take his hostile eye movement back when his threatening gaze pierced the reactively apologetic look that suddenly appeared on Aoba's now timid face.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't notice that you woke up. My bad…heh…heheh," the blue-haired boy laughed nervously as he withdrew his hand from the raven and began to scratch the back of his head. It was no mystery to Mikado's flat, observant gaze that the other was blatantly attempting to diffuse the awkwardness in the air, but the leader had never paid attention to any of it in the first place. He just wanted to make Aoba feel like he was at home—not like he was intruding or generally being a constant annoyance. The blue-haired boy was truly anything _but_ that kind of person in Mikado's eyes. He lifted a smile as he watched Aoba remain comically unable to make eye contact with him.

"Don't sweat it, Aoba," the raven laughed as he sat up on his palms, meeting the other's eyes and feeling glad that Aoba was finally able to look at him again, "Did you get a good night's sleep?"

Aoba's face lit up, promptly nodding, "I did. Thank you by the way," the boy finished with a subtle gesture toward Mikado's now disheveled bedsheets and bunched pillows.

"Anytime. I didn't want you hurting your neck sleeping on the corner like that. You really could have just used the whole mattress to begin with though, I would've been completely fine with it," Mikado explained with a happy smile beaming in Aoba's direction.

The other boy simply marveled at Mikado's generosity, fully expecting some sort of catch to come his way in return for the raven's kindness. It never did, though.

"Well next time maybe I'll just use half the bed," Aoba smirked, to which Mikado's eyes shot upward before he laughed off the comment and threw his hands in front of himself.

"Really Aoba, feel free to commandeer the whole thing if you want whenever you come over. I might just steal a pillow and sleep on a mat. No problems there," Mikado insisted as Aoba let his eyes drift to the side of the room, but took care to keep his sly smirk alive.

"Well, alright," he replied after a bit, "At least let me take turns on the mat, though. It's your apartment, after all."

Mikado finally conceded, letting a smile of his own resurface on his face as he glanced at the clock, noticing that it was time to get ready for school.

"As you wish," he replied.

* * *

Giddy laughter could be heard all throughout the sun-bathed penthouse as sound seamlessly bled through the thin walls and funneled into the hallway outside the master bedroom.

"Masaomi, quit it! Mas-MASAOMI!" Saki laughed as her blonde significant other held a mischievous and amused toothy grin, relentlessly running his fingers up and down her sides – fighting to win the most intense tickle fight of both their young lives.

"Aw, come on Saki! I _know_ you've got more fight in you than that," He spurred, sporting a knowing, devilish smirk. Watching Saki struggle to control her laughter made Masaomi's heart flutter wildly deep down. It was certainly a feeling that he began to crave more and more often now that he was back in the city with his beloved. Come to think of it, he frequently wondered how and why he felt infinitely happier with only a change in his surroundings–especially when the faces stayed the same, but he didn't let the thought puzzle him.

As with most things in life, Masaomi was perfectly content with riding the wave. Every moment to _him_ was fluid, speedily moving from one to the next. He wouldn't stop his journey simply to live inside just one of them at a time.

He finally relented after enjoying a few more seconds of absorbing every bit of satisfaction he was getting from Saki's unwavering laughter. At the end of it all, the only thing left was the sound of her panting as she did her best to recover all the air she lost from laughing her lungs out. The blonde however didn't hesitate to keep her breathless. After a moment of watching her body begin to relax, he bent over from his place straddled on top of her, and through a smile, locked his lips with hers.

There they laid among the fluffy white pillows and silky bedsheets, holding each other close and feeling their desire grow with each moment that passed them by. The sun shot rays of warm light upon them through the tall panels of glass which stretched from the floor to the ceiling of their space, and in the morning light the two existed as silhouettes dancing among the shadows they created.

Saki rested her hands on Masaomi's sides from below him as he supported himself with his elbows, holding the face of his beloved in his soft palms while twirling a thumb through her charcoal hair. They shared life through their interlocked eyes as the sun ignited their colors with the delivery of a vibrant golden tint which bounced from their irises. Saki was especially captivated by the way Masaomi's eyes seemed to fill with the color of the sun, much like if someone were to fill a swimming pool with liquid gold.

"You're too good at that…" Saki said softly, breaking their silence and running a hand through the quiet boy's blonde locks to remove them from his face. He looked back at her wordlessly with a raised brow, digging through his thoughts in search of what she was referring to.

"There's nothing to overthink, Masaomi," She continued instantly with a small smile upon watching his face contort into slight confusion at her previous words. In return, he reverted his expression to that of a devious smirk, then bent his neck downward to nuzzle into hers sweetly as he breathed in her elegant scent and softly exhaled it through his nose.

"You _always_ read my mind, Saki…" he whispered into her ear huskily before forming a lustful smirk, captained by his fangs, "I think it's time you showed me a _new_ trick." She trembled at the sensation of Masaomi's breath feathering against her skin, and she swiveled her head away from the boy to grant him more of herself. He took the hint, and seconds later was nibbling at her ear before moving down gradually to kiss her neck. Spurred by the sound of her quivering and the sight of her emerging goosebumps, he breathed before softly biting the surface of her skin, inhaling more of her intoxicating aroma as he furthered his kiss. They were artists, working together to quell their adrenaline and direct it through unrelenting passion.

"Masaomi…uhn, I…" She uttered before her sentence trailed off into a long exhale as she succumbed to the tender sensation that he continued to bestow upon her. After a while, he began fumbling with the top buttons of her nightgown before catching her eyes which had drifted toward his gently as he made his move. He paused what he was doing, letting silence envelop them once again before they both smiled, and he brought an arm around her, flipping themselves over in one swift movement and reversing their position so that Saki was now straddled over him, keeping his bare abdomen between her knees. She traced a finger from his sternum down to his stomach as he leisurely placed his hands to rest on her thighs. Arching her back upward at the feeling, she planted both of her hands onto Masaomi's lower torso and let him untie the string at the back of her nightgown, feeling its silk fibers slide down her body shortly after as its disappearance revealed infinite beauty to her soulmate.

The blonde slid his hands to her sides as he simply gazed at her magnificence in awe, which made her smirk slyly and squint her eyes seductively before she leaned in to kiss him again. Masaomi obliged instantly, shooting his tongue into her cheeks as she reciprocated the movement with just as much ferocity.

In the warmth of the morning sun they laid there, souls dancing together in perfect harmony. They knew they could keep that dance alive for an eternity if they wanted to, and with that fact in mind, they continued to endlessly engage each other's loving aura. An unstoppable presence filled the room with the force of a tidal wave, and they lived inside that presence just as they always did when they were together. It didn't take them long to realize that they had both learned one thing about that phenomenon at the same time, ever since day one—that presence…that's what love was.

* * *

" _Ow_ ," Izaya hissed to himself, instinctively bringing a hand up to his lip when he suddenly felt a sharp pain rip through that area. Swiping at it gently with a few fingers, he found nothing on his skin. Peering into his flute of champagne however, he found the crimson residue of the blood he'd drawn biting his lip, floating among the alcoholic liquid almost as if it were a garnish. The info broker rolled the stem of the glassware between pinched fingers, rotating the chalice as he continued to observe how his blood actively diffused into the beverage yet never merged with it.

Placing the glass down onto his desk, the man leaned backward in his leather chair, all the while never taking his bored eyes off the tarnished champagne as he propped his head upward using a hand which rolled up against his right jawbone.

Moments passed, and emptiness took over the space around him as well as the mind inside him. Boredom reigned in his world as he sat there feeling the rays of sunset burn into his back, and subsequently casting auburn tones onto everything in the spacious room through the floor-to-ceiling windows which stood behind him.

Yes, boredom was all that awaited him in the coming hours. At least it wouldn't last forever. He knew that for a fact.

A knocking suddenly echoed throughout his domain, and he hummed to himself briefly in curiosity as his stone eyes shifted from the bloodied champagne to the cherry wood of his front door. He lifted his head from his rolled hand, captivated in observation for a moment before lowering his arms and moving shadows as he grasped the armrests of his chair and lifted himself to his feet effortlessly.

He casually rolled the chair backward a tad with the backs of his knees before making his way out from behind the desk and casually walking over to the door. He smirked when he looked through the peephole of the door and wasted no time in opening it with wild anticipation and excitement that he could barely contain behind a forced look of mild complacency.

As soon as the doorknob clicked, the wood panel flew open due to no action of Izaya's and the man was almost caught off guard for a split second when black smoke poured into his penthouse, followed by a wordless figure who was likewise clad in darkness.

"Ah…Celty-san," he began, squinting his eyes watchfully although they both knew that he relished every seemingly dramatic encounter with a dark enthusiasm, "To whom do I owe this pleasant surprise?"

For a moment of hesitation, the dullahan only stared at him through the tinted visor of her yellow helmet, which continued to subtly bleed more smoke by the second.

She took a moment to type before flipping her phone toward him so that he could see.

The man squinted at the device for not even five seconds before his mind registered what she'd typed, and he looked back up at her darkly with a soft smile growing on his face.

[Mikado Ryuugamine.]

Instantly, the dullahan reached out and snapped her wrist as she intensely clenched the fibers of the man's t-shirt collar and pulled him closely toward herself.

Izaya almost felt intimidated at her unexpected action, but hastily remembered one key factor that was indeed very real, and they both knew it; Experience even proved it time and time again.

He was the only one with any real power here.

Aware of this, he let his teeth show in a clenched grin which continued to only grow wider with each passing moment.

"What," he began as he felt the dullahan's grip only harden further and a dark presence engulf the room, "have you come to punish me? I've done nothing to him."

[No.]

"Then what have you come for? And so rudely at th-" he questioned before he was cut off by Celty's phone once again appearing closely to his face. Silence fit so well with her intensity, he thought briefly.

[If you bring him harm…]

[If you bring him pain…]

[Or if you do _anything_ to _anyone_ he knows for that matter…]

While he read each message separately as Celty presented them, Izaya's smile faded. His once playful expression slowly replaced itself with a hard glare of pure animosity toward the headless rider, who jerked him closer such that she looked down at him through her visor, and delivered One Last message.

[I will end you.]


End file.
